Forever Drifting
by Miracles79
Summary: For Sachiko everything was going well and the future was looking far more hopeful but that was all taken away the day Yumi, and her family, disappeared. 10 years later and suddenly Yumi returns... but for what purpose? And what does the increasing body count have to do with Yumi? All questions will be answered and blood will be shed...
1. Forever Drifting Chapter 1

Maria Sama Ga Miteru

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Drifting

By Miracles79

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Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters they belong to the amazing Oyuki Konno who brought Maria Sama Ga Miteru into our lives.

I advise you DO NOT read this if you are under 16 as it is a very dark interpretation of Maria Sama Ga Miteru. Read at your own discretion.

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'_10 years…'_

'_10 years, has it really been that long?'_

The figure pondered this question as she gazed upon the grounds of her establishment with little to no interest. By this point, day had already succumbed to night cloaking the shadowy figure from view in her dimly lit office as she silently remembered moments that shaped her life up until this very moment.

The figure leaned on the hand rail of her balcony, absentmindedly, measuring the distance between herself and the ground below. She smiled bitterly as she downed another glass of vodka wincing as her throat burnt from the numbing sensation coursing throughout her entire system.

The sound of the whispering wind played havoc with her mind as they whispered of repercussions born from regrets and distrust. A never ending torment which had continued to plague her mind ever since that unfortunate day which occurred 10 years ago to this very day.

The figure bowed her head resting it against the frozen handrail which, surprisingly, calmed her nerves as she regained a slither of composure whilst in her drunken state. As the hand, which encased her empty glass, began to shake uncontrollably.

'_10 years…'_

'_That's all it took…'_

'_10 years since the events that changed my life…'_

'_And 10 years since I lost the reason for that change'_

Her fingers, which held the now empty glass, tightened firmly causing her knuckles to turn white as they shook violently. The figure removed her head from the handrail in one seamlessly smooth motion before exhaling deeply as the wisps from her breathe intermingled with the night sky further emphasising the freezing temperature outside on the balcony.

For many a passer bye this scene would have seemed strange and unbecoming of a lady of such stature, like a traditional lover fawning over the loss of a lost loved one in times long gone, but to the occupants of this house the scene was, unfortunately, a common sight.

However, despite her parent's pleas, she refused the help her family willingly offered as well as the companionship of suitors who greedily attempted to fill the gap, and the empty space in her bed, which had been ripped out of her still beating heart.

'_10 years and there's no trace of you anymore…'_

'_As if you didn't even exist…'_

'_The world knows my name but it pains me that they never learnt of yours'_

The figure took one last look into the murky night sky overhead then left the seclusion of her balcony opting instead to move into her bedroom and her place of isolation from the outside world. The unmistakable click of the lock was followed by the groggy steps of the sole occupant of the room and, coincidentally, the house.

The once empty glass was once more refilled as the fresh yet sickly taste of vodka slipped effortlessly down her throat resulting in a negligible grunt of satisfaction. "Happy anniversary…wherever you are, my precious little Petite Soeur" the bitterness of her words saw through as she forcefully threw the glass against the wall closest to her vicinity.

She watched it shatter, another common sight for the once composed Ice Princess of Lillian. She stepped through the shattered glass, the shards piercing her bare feet, showing no emotion as she did so. The living dead would have best described her not that she would have welcomed this observation at the present time.

The pain never registered as her eyes were fixed on an image displayed proudly on her writing desk. She moved closer as her footsteps became uneven and unsteady perhaps due to the amount of alcohol she had consumed or maybe the realisation and sight that she would only ever see from a picture frame.

"Yumi"

The figure fell to her knees the glass mercilessly stabbing into the open flesh around her knees and ankle but once again the pain never registered. The only pain she felt resonated from her heart which had begun to beat faster ever since she saw the image of her Petite Soeur displayed in plain view for all to see and admire.

Uncontrolled sobs slipped past the figures slightly swollen and chaffed lips. The sobs which could only mean one thing to all who have either felt or witnessed such a painful, and helpless, scene. She was going to remember her…her Petite Soeur…the beautiful and honest, Fukuzawa Yumi.

The figure raised her head slightly as the beams of moonlight revealed strands of unkempt blue/black hair and piercing blue eyes which retained their ice cold exterior. How things had changed, the once honourable and proud Ogasawara Sachiko had been replaced by the confused, stranded and pessimistic woman that knelt before her Petite Soeurs picture as if in prayer.

"Why? Why couldn't I be the Onee-Sama that you deserved…why couldn't I protect you from the world which bore you…Why did I ignore your pleas for help when you needed me most…wh-why did it end like this?"

Sachiko's screams of pain echoed around the room amplifying the pain she felt for the world to hear but nobody heard it. Nobody cared for the problems of the rich and well off, a common misconception amongst the populace was that money and power equalled happiness but now Sachiko saw through that obvious fabrication.

'_Money has brought me nothing but misery…'_

'_A burden which the uneducated strive to attain…'_

'_Which I wish to be rid of…'_

'_Yet I can't…'_

'_All money lures are the greedy, the uncaring and the lowest form of live in this god forsaken world'_

To most this would have just sounded like the cries of a "poor little rich girl", oh the irony of that statement, "poor" to reflect the spoilt child was another common misconception, at least in Sachiko's mind.

To Sachiko "poor" spoke of her social standings in modern society. Sachiko admittedly had very few true friends who she could rely on whole heartedly. The rest had been scared away by the pressure of speaking to someone in a place of nobility but worst of all the mere mention of affluence encouraged the gluttonous rabble to flock to her as if she was the second coming of Maria-Sama herself.

"Money! I hate it and I hate that I could offer you everything money could buy, Yumi…I wanted to show you how much you meant to me but how could I when what you desired required the money I had not worked for…The money handed down to me which I had no right to own"

Sachiko raised her hand and traced the outline of her Petite Soeurs face with her index finger slowly moving across Yumi's flushed cheeks, beautiful brown eyes and luscious pink lips.

"Yumi, where are you? What happened to you? It's been 10 years since we last saw one another but then you disappeared…why? And where did your family go? Why does the house you once lived in belong to strangers? I…I don't know what happened?" Sachiko whispered as her eyes began to glisten from the pain of this knowledge as she began to remember, vaguely, the events of 10 years ago.

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Around 10 years ago to this very day, Yumi and her family had vanished. To where nobody knows and the reasons why are still unknown. Even Sachiko's privately assembled search team couldn't find hide nor hair of her. Sachiko's friends had an equal measure of success.

Touko had used her influence and reputation to contact local and national media in an attempt to find her Onee-Sama with a very healthy rewarded offered for her whereabouts. The up and coming star of Hollywood searched relentlessly for her Petite Soeur but to no avail.

Touko often met with Sachiko to discuss strategy while outsiders often called for the search to be abandoned. It was fair to say that those people felt the unmatched wrath of The Rosa Chiensis' sisters, Ogasawara Sachiko and Matsudaira Touko.

Yoshino, Yumi's closest friend, had also searched for her personally using her connections and influence in the Behavioural Analysis Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The renowned detective had solved all cases with startling efficiently…all except one, 'the disappearance of Fukuzawa Yumi' which continued to allude her.

Rei comforted her cousin, and secret lover, in the days when Yoshino grieved about the unknown fate of her best and most trusted friend. Both sought comfort in the embrace of the other all the while contemplating the fate of their dearest friend and the missing person in their life.

Shimako and Noriko had offered support whenever they could but were relatively powerless in the search. The relationship between Shimako and Noriko was very similar to that of Rei's and Yoshino's both were madly in love with the other. The only difference was that Shimako and Noriko's love had now been made official thanks to a secret procession held beyond Japan's borders…hidden to all but their closest friends.

Sei, meanwhile, had been greatly affected by Yumi's disappearance and recklessly searched for days at a time for the cute girl with pigtails in her hair. Sei took extended leave from her place of employment, works as an architect and painter for Kyoto landscape, and searched for Yumi across half of Japan.

Sei did not however search alone. Youko had reluctantly agreed to go on this wild goose chase in the hope that Sei would return knowing that she had done all that she could. Sometimes even Sachiko would accompany them while at other times the whole group would come but there had never been a single sight of Yumi or a single member of her family.

Eriko and her husband, Professor Yamanobe, had to unfortunately sit out most of the search as the former had become pregnant, unexpectedly, in the second year of their search. They had been congratulated and a party was held in celebration of this momentous event but they had, reluctantly, returned to their lives to raise their daughter, rather than search for their former friend.

After 5 years of searching there had been no sight of Yumi or her family and the members of the search had, reluctantly, returned to their previous lives, previous jobs, previous lifestyles and their previous life which did not contain Yumi's presence, her sweet voice or her captivating smile.

The memory of Yumi was beginning to slip away little by little.

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Sachiko picked up the picture of her Petite Soeur and gazed at it fondly. She walked back to her bed and landed with a loud thud against the hard mattress which did not buckle under her slim weight.

Her eyes gravitated back towards the picture held against her chest, at the only person in this world who could cause her heart to beat like this, the only person she had ever longed for or desired.

Unfortunately, Sachiko had come to this conclusion after Yumi's disappearance meaning she never had the chance to confess her feelings to a girl she deeply admired above any and all else. The pain in her heart had at first intensified at the loss of her Petite Soeur but as time passed the pain began to numb until she was a shell of her former self, all of Yumi's work before her disappearance had been completely undone as Sachiko returned to her protective shell of isolation from any and all.

'_Yumi, please, come back to me…'_

'_I never got the chance to tell you how much you mean to me…'_

'_I love you, Yumi…'_

'_Even if you won't accept my feelings, please come back…'_

'_Please don't leave me alone…'_

'_I need you Yumi'_

"Yumi! I need you…there I said it…now come back to me, wherever you are please come back to me…do you want to make me suffer? Do you want me to beg for your return because…because I will…no matter how unseemly it may seem I will get down on my hands and knees and pray for your return" Sachiko shrieked as she clutched the fabric over her heart as the latter had begun to throb painfully once more.

Sachiko's head dropped suddenly as tears began to flow freely from her ocean blue eyes as she whispered sadly "I've even made preparations for when you return…I annulled my marriage to Suguru-San and am now the sole head of the Ogasawara Company…nothing can stand in our way, I only want you Yumi…so please return to me…and…and please love me the same way that I love you…"

Sachiko's gaze turned towards her lap where the picture frame was held tightly between her whitened fingers "Did you know, Yumi…That when you disappeared…not only did your presence leave us but you took something precious with you…something I believed could never be taken away from me…something that I have entrusted you with till my dying day…my heart"

"So please come back to me…please make the pain go away…love me, please" Sachiko began to hiccup slightly as the tears continued to stream down her already dry and tear stained cheeks.

"Yumi!" Sachiko cried out as she held the picture tighter to her chest in an almost possessive manner fearing that the picture, much like the actual person, might disappear from her sight.

"Yumi!"

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"So miss…where are you going?" a middle aged man said from the driving seat as he secretly stared at the young woman to his left. It was less innocent staring and more like staring at her ripe thighs which continued to tease him mercilessly.

'_Just you wait till we get to my apartment you fucking beautiful bitch'_

"Oh," The young woman replied nervously "I just recently moved into an apartment across from Lillian High, you can just drop me off there…by the way, I'm really grateful for the ride I cannot thank you enough"

The man across nodded his head in understanding "That's fine, I'm happy to help…I'll drop you off at Lillian High which should take about 7 minutes" he commented politely as his gaze shifted from her revealing and slightly torn skirt to her muddied and dirtied shirt.

'_Lillian High? Like I'd know where that place is…'_

'_But don't worry beautiful…I'll teach you something they don't teach at Lillian High hehehe'_

The man once again looked at the nervous girl across from him. She seemed to be in her early twenties from what she could tell and was sporting muddied and torn clothes which effectively dirtied the inside of his car. The man had to hide his dissatisfaction about his cars state from the young girl; he'd make her pay for it later by dirtying her in return.

His repulsive thoughts were halted when he heard the girls voice shaking slightly down to nerves no doubt "Thank you so much, I really am grateful…I know I've said it before but if there is any way I can repay you I would happily do it"

The man almost stopped the car completely at this surprising turn of events and his lust for the innocent and unknowing girl beside him only intensified.

"Like I said miss it really is no problem…Although I may have to take you up on your offer if you keep asking me that question" He chuckled slightly at his own amazing wit before returning his attention to the road which was being assaulted by heavy rain and thunder.

The younger girl replied "Please sir if there is anything I can do I would be happy to do it…I'm just new to this area and I have no friends here," she nervously laughed at her statement before continuing "In fact nobody even knows I'm here…I ran away from home you see"

The man had to hide his sickening smirk and increasing erection from sight as this innocent and troubled girl practically walked to her defiler thinking he was her kind and helpful saviour.

'_Is she fucking serious…I can't hold it in…'_

'_Fuck going to the apartment, I can't hold myself in any longer…'_

'_I need to find a secluded alley way and fast'_

The man took another lust filled look at the young woman before his gaze was drawn to a heavy looking bag placed on her lap. "What's in the bag? It looks pretty heavy" the man said uninterestedly as he continued to search for a suitable and secluded alley way.

"Oh, I left my house in a hurry and could only grab a couple of items…these are those items" the girl smiled warmly at the man who had to fight the overwhelming urge to jump her right here and now on the busy and populated stretch of road.

The girl whipped her slightly mud stained hair out of her eyes and continued to gaze fondly at her surroundings completely unaware of the tense atmosphere in the car.

Suddenly the man noticed an ominous looking building in the distance which the girl had also noticed. "Ah," she said in excitement "Were almost at Lillian High, thank you so much for the ride" The man ignored her though and his kind smile was replaced by a look of determination.

"Sir?" The girl asked worried by the man's sudden change in demeanour. The car eventually reached Lillian High but instead of stopping the car the driver continued onwards past the designated stop. "Um, Sir that was my stop…you just missed it" the girl asked worried as the man ignored her once again.

"Sir, we missed the stop…what are you doing?" the girl asked close to tears. "Shut your fucking mouth" the man screamed in anger as he continued to look for an alley way nearby. The girl was terrified as she desperately tried to get out of the car door but it had already been locked.

"Sir, please…why are you doing this? You promised me" The girl cried as tears began to flow down her face. But the man ignored her again not caring for her feeble cries because he had finally found a suitable alleyway with both seclusion and plenty of time to act after the deed was done.

He placed a hand against her neck pressing her up against the window pane as he slowly drove into the deserted alley way taking in every moment of this arousing experience. "Please, oh god, I'm sorry…please let me go…I won't tell anyone I swear" The young girl pleaded as he stopped the car and focused his attention solely on the young girl.

"Oh no, trust me, you won't be telling anyone about this…you're a very lucky girl you know that" the repulsive man said as he unbuckled his belt, climbed into her seat and attempted to rip of her already partially torn skirt.

"No please stop…I'm begging you, I haven't done anything wrong" She sobbed as the hideous man pressed his upper body against hers while attempting to suck on the lower nape of her neck. But the girl attempted to fight back feebly by holding his face and continuing to writhe under him, unintentionally, bringing him more feelings of pleasure.

"Oh no, please…I'm just a poor, lonely little girl who came here without anyone knowing…oh no I thought I could trust you…I was fooled…Oh poor deluded and innocent me…Nobody can hear me scream for help…oh no, I'm at your mercy…I can't do anything…I'm just a poor defenceless and innocent little girl" The younger girl cried.

However, the man stopped instantly from what he was doing. There was something very different in her tone and it terrified him to no end. He definitely heard a cry but it wasn't a fearful or desperate cry like he had imagined it would instead it sounded a lot more like a mock cry as if she wasn't scared at all.

The man looked up hesitantly towards the face of the younger girl which was covered up by her brown hair. "You really are stupid aren't you" the girl said behind an obvious smirk.

The man's temporary fear was replaced by hilarity as he prepared to continue what he started but before he could act on his urges the young woman's hand shot up, grabbed his neck and lifted him above her and against the ceiling of the car roof.

'_Wha-What the?"_

'_Wha…what the fuck is going on?'_

"Oh no please help me…I'm all alone and scared…I couldn't possibly protect myself…I'm so weak, tiny and womanly…what hope have I got against such a strong, masculine man" The younger woman sniggered while still staring down at her lap without looking up at the man being held, effortlessly, against the cars roof.

"Wha-Wha-What's going on…let me down" the man replied fearfully. The younger girl shifted her head slightly to the right as if to pick up on his faint, whimpering words.

When the man finished speaking his feeble command, the young woman merely laughed a heartless, bloodthirsty laugh. "Hahaha Let me go…Is that all you have to say…not the most impressive last words I've ever heard"

Suddenly the man was thrown against the door closest to the driver's side as he hit it hard his shoulder dislocating on impact. A sharp cry of pain emanated from his mouth before the young girl grabbed him by the throat once more and held him back up against the ceiling of the roof before driving him against the board of the car.

The man's body slid down the board, which housed the stereo and car wheel, before he was once again effortlessly picked up by the girl who positioned his face close to hers. Her face still covered by mats of dirty, dark brown hair.

"What are you?" the man squealed as blood dripped from his nose and open mouth, not to mention the deep gash marks on his face and shoulders.

"Your worst nightmare" the girl calmly replied as she threw her hair behind her head revealing a beautiful face lacking in any imperfections in the slightest. The only difference from before however were her eyes. The light brown eyes of earlier had been replaced with a darker shade of brown with slits on either side of her darkened pupils.

The woman then in a quick undetectable motion pressed her teeth against the man's ear and ripped it off. The man had little time to react to this sudden turn of events as he was thrown through the car window from the inside and into the secluded alley way.

The man screamed in pain, begging for help but nobody came. This place was isolated as he had intended. He had inadvertently staged his own death with both hands.

The woman exited from the car door and seductively walked towards the crumbled pleading man. She held him by his collar and lazily threw him against a couple of nearby recycling bins. He gasped in pain from the collision until he was hoisted into the air once again and walked directly back to the car. The young woman threw him straight back through the open window before forcefully dragging him back out over broken glass.

"Tell me when it hurts will you hehe" The young girl asked unsympathetically as she dragged him down the cars bonnet and onto the floor before placing his left leg up against the cars bonnet.

The young girl grabbed his knee while resting her foot against his upper thigh and with a slight tug on his leg his lower leg detached from the knee in a sea of blood as she discarded it with a simple throw over her shoulder. The man rolled around in absolute agony as he watched the girl smiling proudly at him as his cries of pain echoed and amplified against the barren walls of the alley way.

"You still up for more, I guess I'm game" The younger girl spread her legs and sat on his lap looking at him intently. She raised her hands cradling his head as her fingers tips brushed over his chin, his cheeks, his cheekbones before resting on his terrified eyes.

"This will do I think…by the way, Sir, have you ever heard of a phrase an eye for an eye" without waiting for a reply, and in one swift movement, she plunged her fingers deep into his eye cavity's as blood poured out from his now open socket. He screamed in unimaginable pain as he cursed loudly and attempted to cry threw already burst eye balls but to no avail.

"Enough," She sighed "I'm bored of you now…" The young woman said in a bored manner. She walked over to car door and in one swift motion collected her bag while smashing through the double glazed window. She turned towards the man writhing around in pain as the man asked in a whimper "Who are you?"

"You wouldn't know of my name but seeing as you will no longer be here anymore…I see no harm in allowing you the benefit of knowing my name…I'm known as Yumi…Fukuzawa Yumi" Yumi replied with a disarming smile aimed at the man sprawled on the floor surrounded by his own blood.

"Now…time to put an end to your pathetic life" The young woman whispered as she settled her bag on the floor, opened it up and withdrew a menacing looking cleaver which she passed from hand to hand out of sheer boredom.

"No wait" the man screamed out of sheer fear and horror at her uncaring attitude.

'_Haven't I suffered enough…?'_

'_This isn't fair'_

Yumi placed the razors edge against the man's neck, feeling his pulse against the cold steel of her cleaver, and pushed the cleaver down firmly against the man's neck as incomprehensible sounds passed the man's lips till it passed through cleanly in a single strike.

Yumi stood back up and threw the deceased body, head and all, into the car through the open window. Taking a towel from her bag she began to clean the cleaver removing the blood stained smear from the sharp edges of her sword.

Yumi walked back up the secluded alley way and breathed in the night air as if the act itself was in of itself both satisfying and relieving. "Home…home, it's been too long but I'm back now and I'm never leaving ever again hehehe" she said more to herself than to anyone around her who didn't seem to notice her presence in the slightest.

"10 years it took me to get back here…for one reason and one reason only," She smiled mischievously "Ogasawara Sachiko"

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Author's Notes: A little taster of what to expect if I continue this story because I'm not entirely sure whether I'll continue to write this particular story or not. I have about half the story prepared in my mind and I know specific scenes which will come up but I haven't written a detailed plan yet or figured out a way to get to those specific scenes I mentioned.

If you want me to continue please leave a review or personal message. If enough people do I will continue this story and write up a detailed plan just like I did for Love Will Tear Us Apart.

By the way this little idea of mine was born from a nasty cold, being basically abandoned by my friends in a hotel room in Italy and the overwhelming desire to do something even though my head is spinning like crazy which is why my story may sound slightly incoherent.

This story is going to be a mix between Higurashi No Naku Koro and 5 centimetres per second. Meaning it will have a mix of horror, drama, romance, slice of life, tragedy and comfort.

It will feature an unhinged Yumi who is both mysterious and very much unlike the Yumi of old. Oh and by the way she will wield a large cleaver at times and will be extremely demented for reasons that will be explained later on in this story.

This story will start of as teen rated but will eventually be upgraded to Mature due to certain violent scenes and sexual descriptions etc. This story is definitely not for the faint hearted.

Most Maria Sama characters will be featured but the story will once again be centred on Sachiko and Yumi. However, this time Touko will play a big part in this story and will be involved heavily in this story.

The theme for this story is called Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni OST - Main Theme search for the song to get a much better idea of this story and the dark nature that it will entail.

:D


	2. Forever Drifting Chapter 2

Maria Sama Ga Miteru

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Forever Drifting

By Miracles79

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Chapter 2

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters they belong to the amazing Oyuki Konno who brought Maria Sama Ga Miteru into our lives.

I advise you DO NOT read this if you are under 16 as it is a very dark interpretation of Maria Sama Ga Miteru. Read at your own discretion.

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"Ah, number 32. Found it" Whispered Yumi as she crumbled a thin piece of paper in the palm of her hand before tossing it onto the sidewalk. She took one last look behind her, through the sea of various passers-by, at the high school of which she used to belong.

'_Lillian High…'_

'_10 years and it seems that nothing has changed…'_

'_I guess it will remain stagnant until the end of time.'_

Lillian, the garden of maidens, had seemingly not changed in all those years she had been…missing. In all those years, the outer walls had been kept pristine as if they had only been built yesterday while the cherry trees, which intermingled within the vibrant campus, remained untouched.

The school buildings remained with no added additions, at least from what Yumi could see, and the Rose Mansion stood proudly, off in the distance, giving off an aura in equal parts importance and elegance. Nothing had changed.

'_**Are you surprised…?'**_

'_**The world does not revolve around you little girl…'**_

'_**It will not change simply because you have…'**_

And there it was that menacingly cruel voice. A voice she had been accustomed to for over a year now. The same voice which whispered of nothing but the sweet words of revenge. A voice which protected her from the abuses of this world but, yet the same voice which demanded blood, pain and eternal suffering for all that had wronged her.

'_It seems you haven't changed one bit…'_

'_But I don't have time to argue with you…'_

'_I need to take a look inside'_

Yumi shifted her focus back to the front door tracing her fingers against its wooden surface in a casual manner. She then lifted her bag off her shoulders and dropped it at the foot of the door. She located the lock's location on the door and proceeded to dig within the contents of her bag.

She sifted through a multitude of menacing and sharp looking weapons, ranging from a baseball bat to her favourite weapon of choice…her precious and prized hatchet. After finally locating the key, she forced it into the lock and opened the door.

She took a step into the worn interior of her new house. The sight of tangled wires, damp and ripped wallpaper was an unflattering view but, the place seemed to mirror Yumi's complicated personality very well. In short, Yumi actually liked it and paid no heed to its uninviting appearance. Well, at least one of Yumi's personas.

'_**I like it…'**_

'_**It suits me to a tee…'**_

'_Well, I'm glad you like it because I don't…'_

'_The walls are damp, the wallpaper and the wall itself have been torn to shreds…'_

'_There are wires coming out of the walls and the light doesn't work'_

Yumi pressed a nearby switch and was unsurprised when the room did not become engulfed in light. She reluctantly stepped further in and closed the door behind her firmly. She rested her back against the closed door taking in another look at her surroundings for the second time.

Unfortunately, Yumi was forced to recoil when a part of the rotten and wooden door pressed down on her neck's skin. She wiped at her neck in a frenzied state before contemplating how the outer part of the door could be hard and durable while the inner part of the door was rotten and damp.

"God this place stinks…ehh, I wouldn't force my worst enemy into this place" Yumi was forced to cover her nose and mouth from the sickening aroma residing within the cramped house.

'_**Oh, really? Not even your worst enemy…?'**_

'_**Now we both know that's a lie…?'**_

'_**After what they did to you…?'**_

'_**Took from you…?'**_

"Enough!" Yumi screamed covering her ears, begging the voice to give her much needed ignorance and peace. "Please, I don't want to remember…so please, don't speak more of it" Yumi pleaded to the voice within her head as she attempted to repress those painful memories.

'_**You are weak, Yumi…'**_

'_**Your ignorance of the past is a crippling weakness …'**_

'_**You should embrace the anger inside you...'**_

'_**And use it…and me…to right the wrongs which have been present throughout these last 10 years…'**_

'…_**But for now I will grant you peace…I will speak no more of the past, for now at least.'**_

"Arigatou," Yumi whispered thankfully to her subconscious before turning back towards the hall way to survey her new surroundings. "now to settle into my new house" Yumi squealed in excitement as she skipped up the stairs and towards an uncertain future.

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It had been 2 hours since Yumi had first stepped into her new home and she had already been making little improvements to her unappealing house. Quite surprisingly, the electrical equipment in her bedroom all seemed to work. So, she had no problem connecting her laptop into the socket for a much needed charge of the battery.

The rotting wardrobe in the corner of her room was lined with 3 simple yet equally worn outfits. Yumi was not blessed with money which meant that these 3 pieces of simple clothing had been all she had worn for the last 10 years...more like forced to wear for the past 10 years.

The first piece of clothing was a simple yet dirty attire which she had sported earlier on in the day. While the tears and dirt where indeed unappealing to the eye, the real problem with the clothing was that the insides where stained by dried blood.

The sensation of dried blood on her skin was enough to make Yumi squirm but she didn't really have the option of choice. She was dirt poor and she knew it, so she was forced to make do with what little clothing she had been given.

The second piece of clothing was as uninteresting as the first but; the third piece of clothing would raise many an eyebrow and a confused look. The un-presentable young woman who stood within the equally unappealing house had once, according to her third piece of clothing, belonged to no other than the illustrious High School of Lillian.

Yumi proceeded towards the Lillian uniform displayed proudly within the confides of the wardrobe, the exact same uniform she had worn on the day of her disappearance. And for the first time in over 10 long years, she began to slip on the slightly small piece of clothing that belonged to the members of Lillian High.

Yumi felt a strange sense of satisfaction as she started to tie her white sailor scarves into a respectable knot. Mirroring the actions of an Onee-Sama who had often untied then retied her perfectly knotted scarves.

"Now then, I think it's time I celebrated my ten year anniversary…I mean 10 years ago to this very day I graduated from Lillian High…Graduated clinging to my hopes and dreams…Clinging to a singular hope that I could spend the rest of my University years in the company of my Onee-Sama" Yumi said to no one in particular.

To most, this sort of behaviour would have seemed strange or undignified but after years of isolation from the outside world, and with all forms of social interaction unavailable to her, the only person she was able to talk to were herself and her…her family. At least, she used to be able to talk to them.

'_Not now…'_

'_I promised to forget…'_

'_**Jesus Christ, shut the fuck up'**_

'_I'm ignoring you…'_

'_Ok, think of something else Yumi, for god's sake.'_

Then suddenly an image came into focus in her mind's eye. An image of a person she had desperately wanted to see for over 10 years now and the same person that had kept her alive even when the odds were firmly stacked against her.

"Onee-Sama…" Yumi whispered the name she had repeated, almost religiously, since her disappearance. For 10 years, Yumi had whispered that word, over and over again, like a mantra against the pain inflicted on her from the very same world which bore her.

"It's been 10 years Onee-Sama…I wonder where you are. Whether you are happy with the way your life turned out…" Yumi looked back at the weapons displayed on her bed, carefully perusing the items which took her fancy before opting to pick up a slender dagger, nestling it in the crook of her boot.

Wherever Yumi went, she always brought some form of protection with her. Even though she had been gifted unimaginable strength, she still liked to pick from an assortment of different weapons and torture implements.

Yumi enjoyed the violence, the hopeless and fearful look of desperation when they were forced to realise that their time was up. To Yumi it was extremely satisfying and most importantly…incredibly arousing. To have the power, and the opportunity, to decide life and death was something she had come to enjoy without reservation.

"This isn't only a anniversary of my graduation, Onee-Sama…This is our graduation, a celebration of when our Soeurship ended 10 years ago…and a anniversary of when I was unfairly torn from your life…So, wherever you are Onee-Sama…Happy Anniversary." Yumi screamed those last words as loud as she could; the sounds reverberating against the matted floorboards below.

Yumi dressed in her Lillian School Uniform walked down the hall careful not to step on the numerous holes in the floor and, proceeded downstairs till she arrived at the front door. She opened the door slowly; poking her head around the corner, making sure nobody was congregating around Lillian's High School entrance.

School had already finished at Lillian over two hours ago but, she needed to make sure that the school was satisfactorily empty before she made her move towards her intended destination. Yumi rolled her neck slightly to relieve its stiffness while ignoring the charm that dug painfully into her sore neck as she did so.

When the coast was clear, Yumi hurried towards the School and blended within a small sea of students who were leaving Lillian's premises. Even though 10 years had passed, Yumi could still easily pass as a teenager.

Not much had changed, at least physically, within those 10 years and she had neither grown nor matured in that space of time. The only real change to her body was that Yumi had become increasingly malnourished in the past couple of years which resulted in her body's thin and withered appearance.

Ignoring this evident fact, Yumi continued to walk down the cobbled street without any interference from pupil or teacher alike. After a short walk, Yumi arrived at an intersection and couldn't help but smile when she saw the figure of the Virgin Mary waiting for her at its epicentre.

Yumi moved towards the statue and stared within her sapphire eyes which attempted to pierce her own mocha brown eyes. Yumi sniggered at a related memory, a particular memory which would trigger her eventual fall from grace, as she continued to stare uncaringly at the imposing figure.

"Wait" Yumi whispered, smiling at the memory which had remained crystal clear even after so many years. Yumi shifted her feet and continued walking down the cobbled street ignoring the excited mumblings from students who passed by, who without doubt were commenting on her unflattering appearance but she ignored them all the same.

"Rose Chinensis" Yumi froze in place. For a moment she was sure her cover had been blown and that someone, somehow, had recognized her after so many years.

"Gokigenyou Rosa Chinensis" said a slightly brave girl from the sea of, embarrassed, first years who stood and watched their friend greet the notorious Rosa Chinensis of Lillian High.

Yumi let out a sigh of relief as she watched the scene unfold before her. The group of girls had not been talking to her after all; in fact, they seemed to be talking to a beautiful and elegant looking woman who responded with various greetings and waves of her hand.

Yumi couldn't help but recall all the times she herself had been forced into such a situation, when a nervous Lillian student would approach from a flock of equally curious students. Often, Yumi would either shake their hand or caress their cheek with an open palm, it wasn't surprising that she was often both loved and revered by students of her school.

Yumi ignored their interactions and continued on her way. She was almost there. Almost at the place where Sachiko had first opened her heart to Yumi and confessed about her painful secrets, which concerned her husband's sexual orientation, and how their marriage was nothing more than a business transaction.

On that day, Yumi had consoled Sachiko and as times passed they found themselves, often, consoling one another willingly to the point when the only person they could rely and depend on were each other. They had cared for and protected each other all their lives…well, that was until 10 years ago.

'_**Bitterness will get you nowhere little girl…'**_

'_**Stop stewing in self-pity…'**_

'_**It is both tiresome and bothersome'**_

The voice moaned as if finding the subject matter incredibly boring to listen to.

'_Well, I apologize if my pain has caused you some sort of discomfort, I truly am…'_

'_**Then, would you please shut the fuck up…?'**_

'_**I could care less about your problems…'**_

The voice continued to ramble on but Yumi paid it no mind. This situation would often happen, yet this didn't stop the voice from continuing on its rambling rampage. However, the voice abruptly stopped when Yumi caught sight of her intended destination…the greenhouse.

Yumi was unsurprised to see that, much like the school buildings, it had not been repaired or neatened up in the slightest. The flowers still grew and blossomed within its comfortable confides while the broken windows remained broken.

Stepping through the front door, Yumi proceeded to a single family of plants at the greenhouse's epicentre, tenderly stroking it. "Rosa Chinensis" Yumi whispered to herself as she remembered bittersweet memories of her time within the greenhouse. From Yumi consoling Sachiko over her relationship to Suguru all the way to the day of the Valentine's Day hunt.

Yumi stood from her kneeling position and walked over to the nearby gardening equipment. She withdrew a small trowel from its contents and returned her attention to a spot in front of the Rosa Chinensis bush. The same spot where Sachiko had hidden her valentines card many years ago.

With forced intent, Yumi proceeded to dig up the earth in the same exact spot where Sachiko had hidden her card. After several minutes, Yumi brushed the sweat off her brow dirtying her face in the process, and stood above the freshly dug hole.

And without a single word, Yumi reached around her neck and removed the Rosary in a single swift motion. She held it at an arm's length for several seconds before dropping it into the opened earth below.

* * *

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"I can't believe it…what does he want with me now" Sachiko moaned as she looked outside the window of her personally owned car. The car in question was heading towards an impromptu meeting which had been kindly arranged by her father, Ogasawara Tooru, who intended to discuss her private life.

'_Is he that desperate to have some stranger marry me…?'_

'_Does he intend to make me unhappy for the rest of my life?'_

Sachiko knew the topic of her unmarried life would come up at some point but, she had never dreamed she would have been called like a dog returning to its master but for it to happen on an important day such as this, on a day that marked the 10 year anniversary since Yumi's untimely death.

Sachiko knew she had been called to her parent's mansion as a matter of urgency but she was fully prepared to disobey such an obtrusive order. Sachiko was left with a choice, either to see her father and risk missing the memorial service with her closest friends or disobey her father and deal with the consequences of her actions.

After little deliberation, Sachiko had opted for the later. For Sachiko, no matter who it was, Yumi would always be more important to her than anyone else including her family, friends and even her Onee-Sama. To Sachiko, Yumi was an angel who she didn't fully appreciate until the moment she was cruelly snatched from her grasp.

"Just here, please…" Sachiko motioned to the driver to stop nearby the bus stop a few yards away. "Return to the Mansion" and with that simple command Sachiko turned and began to walk towards a place that held more meaning to her then all the places in her entire life.

Sachiko pondered the reasons why, after 10 long years, she still couldn't get over her former Petite Soeur. Yumi had been declared dead 3 years ago after the police force had found no evidence to support her belief that Yumi was still alive. But after no sightings or evidence to the contrary, she was officially declared dead along with the members of her family.

As she passed by, Sachiko openly greeted various students in the old fashioned manner until she was halted by a strange and unsettling sight. A young woman, from the looks of it, who was wearing dirty, and partially torn, rags that seemed to resemble the traditional uniform of Lillian High student.

The mere sight of this woman disgusted Sachiko to no end. It was clear from this distance that the girl in question did not belong within the world of high class maidens. The young woman's dirtied rags and unkempt hair was enough to make her feel physically sick.

Sachiko was about to angrily scold her for her unwomanly appearance but was halted when she noticed something strangely familiar about her appearance. She stared at the offending item in confusion until she whispered "pigtails…just like…" even though Sachiko could only see the back of her head she couldn't contain this squirming feeling within her stomach or the fast beating of her ice cold heart at the sight of those pigtails.

Instinctively, Sachiko changed direction abandoning her search for the moment… Not even Sachiko knew what she was doing. Her mind was blank and she instead pursued the out of place woman who seemed to pay no mind to the whispers around her.

Sachiko instantly felt an overwhelming need to protect the young woman; to console and support but for reasons even Sachiko couldn't comprehend. She shot the groups of girl's angry glances which hushed their unfriendly whispering at once.

'_Why am I being so overly protective of some random girl…?'_

'_And, why am I still following her?'_

Bewildered, Sachiko pondered her stalker like actions and the overwhelming need to see this stranger's face. The young woman didn't seem to notice the encroaching presence of Sachiko who continued to follow her intently. But if she did notice then she didn't seem to care much.

After several seconds of walking, a desperate almost pleading thought forced itself into the forefront of Sachiko's mind making all other previous issues defunct.

'_It can't be…'_

'_Yumi?'_

At this hopeful thought, Sachiko's pace quickened and the pain in her heart began to intensify within her chest. The younger woman walked towards the gymnasium with Sachiko following at a careful distance until the former walked around the building and out of Sachiko's line of sight.

Without any thought for her unbecoming and downright humiliating behaviour, Sachiko, for the first time ever in her life, broke one of the most important rules taught to her within Lillian's walls. To never run or disturb the pleats in their skirts, as walking is preferred here.

Having no care for her dishevelled appearance, Sachiko sprinted around towards the back of the gymnasium intending to catch the suspicious looking woman. Hoping desperately to see the face of her former Soeur who she had, and would forever, love with all her heart.

Sachiko sprinted around the gymnasium mentally preparing herself for confrontation with the woman who had been engraved in her mind until…she suddenly vanished. Sachiko froze, perhaps due to fear and shock.

Eventually, after overcoming the shocking turn of events, she began to look around for any sign of the woman in question while in a noticeably frenzied and desperate state.

The woman had vanished. How was this possible? She had only escaped her field of vision for no less than 5 seconds. Where, in 5 seconds, could the woman have disappeared to? Sachiko wondered in utter confusion.

After several minutes, Sachiko reluctantly came to the conclusion that it was just her hopeful and deluded mind playing another one of its cruel tricks on her. Sighing sadly, Sachiko turned away from the gymnasium and returned her attention to the pressing matter at hand.

Paying no heed to the student's greetings, Sachiko continued to approach her intended target till she saw it off in the distance nestled between a group of overgrown trees. Sachiko couldn't help but smile as she reached the greenhouse, the decaying remains which housed most of her happiest memories involving Yumi and the time they spent together.

This wasn't just a one off visit however. Every day since Yumi's disappearance Sachiko had visited the greenhouse frequently whether through snow storms or scorching humidity, Sachiko continued to pay her respects to the most important person in her life, Yumi.

It was the only place that belonged to them and them alone. Where they had created wonderful memories together, comforted and consoled each other willingly and without reservation.

Sachiko finally stepped through the open door and proceeded within the greenhouse. Sachiko ignored the obvious elephant in the room as she was so focused on her intended target.

The fact that the door had been opened should have registered within Sachiko's subconscious but there was no room for such needless information. It had already been filled with thoughts of her former Petite Soeur, Fukuzawa Yumi.

Sachiko took a seat at the spot where she had been consoled by Yumi many years ago after the confrontation with her former husband, Suguru. Sachiko's eyes drifted towards the location of the Rosa Chinensis' bush, fondly remembering the time when St Valentine had played one of his tricks on both her and Yumi, the unsolved case of the disappearing card.

The card that Yumi would have found, and rightfully did find, not only contained a feeble promise of a half day date but more importantly the lonely heart which had been contained within her bosom. Hoping against hope that Yumi would be the one to find it and find it she did, at least in Sachiko's opinion.

Even after so many years, Sachiko still couldn't help but reminisce about her former Petite Soeur. It hurt to remember their days together but it was far more painful to avoid or attempt to forget them. Yumi had meant so much to her and Sachiko wouldn't sully her memory by attempting to question her existence.

Sachiko's brief moments of reminiscing were cut short when she noticed something different about the greenhouse, more importantly the vicinity around the Rosa Chinensis' bush. It seemed that the ground in front of the bush had been disturbed very recently.

Puzzled, Sachiko wondered whether Lillian High had continued the tradition of the Valentine's Day card hunt or whether it was taking place today at all considering it was early April.

After an intense inner battle, Sachiko's curiosity had gotten the better of her and she began to look for a trowel from the nearby pile of gardening equipment. In astonishment, Sachiko noticed the trowel at the foot of the Rosa Chinensis' bush cloaked in fresh mud.

She began to dig at the ground at a moderate pace and she found the process relatively easy but, in her mind at least, the process was taking far too long. So Sachiko proceeded, without further explanation, to dig the ground up with her fingertips in a crazed and desperate manner.

'_Could it be…?_

Sachiko tore at the ground repeatedly until she suddenly recoiled in surprise. Lying deep within the dug hole was a Rosary. Sachiko picked it up nervously and felt the weight of it between her hands.

'_This feels so familiar…'_

'_Why is that?'_

Then, Sachiko suddenly realised the personal significance of this Rosary. It was the very same Rosary that she had given Yumi so many happy years ago.

Sachiko also knew that this hole had been dug very recently because she had visited this spot many times over the last 10 years, usually a minimum of once a week. In fact, Sachiko had visited this spot 5 days ago and there had been no sign of disturbance that day or she would have recognized it much sooner.

Then suddenly, and without warning, Sachiko began to cry softly as her ice and cold heart began to thaw from the heat emanating from her quickening heart.

'_Yumi…'_

'_Yumi…'_

'_Yumi…'_

"Yumi!" Sachiko screamed for all the campus to hear. Then without a second thought or care about her unseemly appearance, she sprinted out of the greenhouse looking for any sign of the woman she had dearly missed for so many lifeless years.

"Have you seen Yumi? A girl with brown eyes, medium height…She usually wears her hair up in pigtails?" Sachiko asked various students and teachers in a dishevelled and panic stricken state. The students and teachers in question were becoming increasingly concerned for Sachiko's personal wellbeing and began the search for the woman who fitted Sachiko's rather vague description.

The reason Sachiko's description was vague was due to the amount of years she had not seen Yumi. Her former Petite Soeur might have matured in the time or grown taller since the last time she laid eyes on her.

* * *

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After an hour of searching, the teachers were forced to call Sachiko's Onee-Sama, Mizuno Youko, who was rather fortunately visiting a friend nearby. It took Youko several minutes to arrive at her previous school but that was mainly thanks to her friend's erratic and somewhat suicidal driving style.

"Sei, I've said this many times before but seriously, how did you ever get a driving license?" Youko asked as the entered through the gates to Lillian High.

"I think its best you don't know" Sei joked with a mischievous smile adjourning her western features.

Before Youko could respond to this troubling statement she heard her Petite Soeur's booming voice off in the nearby distance. The pair looked at one another with a look of concern before proceeding towards the sign of the commotion.

"I told you to find her… What are you incompetent or just plain stupid? If I don't find her I will make you all suffer for this…nobody will stand in my way" Sachiko shouted aggressively at the petrified students who had willingly helped Sachiko without any thought for reward or compliments.

Youko quickly defused the tense situation as she physically grabbed Sachiko by the elbow and manoeuvred her away from the startled group. "Enough, explain yourself. Did I teach you to bully first years? No, so why did you feel the need to?"

While Youko attempted to calm an enraged Ogasawara, Sei softly hurried the nearby congregation of students who had the temerity to listen in on a heated and private conversation between former Soeurs with raised ears and eager eyes.

"She's here, she's here Onee-Sama" Sachiko said happily as a captivating smile graced her lips at the more thought of her Petite Soeur alive, safe and within the nearby area.

"Whoa, who is here? Please, Sa-Chan, calm down and explain the situation properly" Youko asked in a firm tone of voice.

Sachiko didn't seem to hear Youko's previous question as she continued talking rather than informing the bewildered pair. "I found her Onee-Sama, I finally found her" Sachiko clutched her chest as more tears began to flow down her porcelain cheeks to the surprise of Sei and Youko.

"Who?" the pair asked in unison looking concerned for Sachiko's mental wellbeing.

"Yumi" Sachiko informed the pair who responded with shocked looks and pitying stares as Sachiko continued with happiness ringing in her voice.

"Yumi is here…Yumi has returned to me"

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Author's Notes: Here's the second part. Like I said before, I'm still not sure whether I will actually continue this but after getting 10 reviews for my previous Chapter, which by the way was amazing, I decided to update this particular story.

But like I said before, I'm unsure about this story. It's the first time I've written a story without a detailed plan. All I currently have are a couple of plausible scenarios and an ending but, how I can fuse them all into one interesting and readable story is still up in the air.

But if I keep getting these sorts of reviews then I will, indeed, continue to write this story.

I am by the way still in Italy. I will be back in rainy old England relatively soon which means Love Will Tear Us Apart will also return in the nearby future.

If you have any questions regarding this story or any other story connected with me then please leave a PM I will be happy to explain any concern or issues you have with my work.

I must remind people that I am far from a gifted writer and that my work can often be incomprehensible or uninteresting. If you feel you can improve my work in any way then, please, give me tips no matter how basic or complicated they are.

I will hopefully see you all soon with either a chapter of this story or Love Will Tear Us Apart. Until then I will continue living my life Italian style :P

Have a great day

:D

Thanks once again to my amazing Beta Reader HeavyTeaDrinker who makes my work not only readable but just plain better


	3. Forever Drifting Chapter 3

Maria Sama Ga Miteru

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Forever Drifting

By Miracles79

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Chapter 3

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters they belong to the amazing Oyuki Konno who brought Maria Sama Ga Miteru into our lives.

I advise you DO NOT read this if you are under 16 as it is a very dark interpretation of Maria Sama Ga Miteru. Read at your own discretion.

(…)- Signifies omitted lines due to shattered mind or hidden voice - will be explained in further chapters

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"_Yumi, please understand, it's not your fault. I don't blame you for (…) You were manipulated by those animals who forced you to (…) So please, don't blame yourself. I love you Yumi (...) I forgive you (…) wish is for you to move on and find (...) Can you do that for me, Yumi? Can you promise me?" _

…

…

…

"Nooooo!"

Yumi awoke in a frenzied panic, sweat pouring freely down her face which had contorted into an all too familiar expression of anguish and most surprisingly of all…fear.

She bolted upright from where she had previously been lying, peacefully, on her slightly damp bed. Yumi clutched the front of her nightgown tightly attempting to quell the unbearable tightness in her bosom caused by her overly enthusiastic heart which had constricted within her chest.

"Nooo, not again, I don't want to remember. No, No, Noooo!" Yumi cried out in excruciating pain. She pressed the palms of her hands against her ears hoping against hope that such a simple act would silence the demonic whispers which spoke of betrayal and of the pain she had witnessed and received so many years ago.

The increasing fear and menacing voices were becoming too much for Yumi as her body crumpled to the floor of her bedroom, falling off her bed with a hard thud in the process. Her body convulsed and shook violently as the memories continued to seep through her fractured and tortured mind.

"Nooo, please, stop this. I-I-I can't…ahhhh. Gomenasai, Gomenasai, Gomenasai!" Yumi screamed, eyes welling up from the pain of loss and of the irreversible pain inflicted upon her life and body.

'_**Yumi, enough, you must calm down…'**_

'_**You will have your revenge…'**_

'_**But for now you must stay calm…'**_

The all too familiar voice attempted to reassure the frightened young girl but with little success. Yumi's past always had this effect on her but after all she had seen, suffered and been forced to implement few people could criticize her rabid and fearful behaviour.

"Why won't it go away? Why?," Yumi whimpered into the darkened room which retained its moist and dirtied interior "I want to forget, I-I don't want to carry this burden alone…Why can't I find peace…Why do I continue to exist in a world that despises me?…What have I done to deserve this?"

In response to Yumi's feeble cries of desperation, the voice could no longer hide its contempt for the supposedly weak minded and frail girl who had once belonged to a school which specialised in nurturing properly trained, elegant and confident woman rather than the mess which lay in a tearful mess at the foot of her bed.

'_**You insolent child…'**_

'_**Self-deprecation will lead you nowhere…'**_

'_**Are you this weak minded…?'**_

'_**Are you spineless as well as gutless…?'**_

'_**That you would bow down and succumb to your past mistakes…'**_

'…_**Now get up off this floor and become the woman you used to be…'**_

'_**And I'll do the rest'**_

At the voice's response, Yumi's heavy breathing began to decrease little by little as did the frantic pacing of her heart. Her trembling body began to relax as her stiff muscles moaned at the prolonged effort exerted upon them. Eyes refocusing on her surroundings rather than the horrific image engraved within her mind.

Then, after several tense minutes, the composed and positively minded Yumi returned to her former self.

She attempted to stand on her own trembling pair of legs while holding onto a nearby wooden desk. As she attempted to apply further pressure on the broken desk, it suddenly collapsed under her petite frame causing her body to return to the ground in a flash of matted hair and dirt stained clothing.

Rubbing her bloodied elbow absentmindedly, Yumi crawled towards her western style bed, ignoring the damp and moss pressing into her knees, and dragged herself onto the worn and punctured mattress. She stared at the ceiling for a while attempting to regain her breath and bearings.

"It will never end, will it…?" Yumi whispered as she wiped the sweat dripping from her brow.

'_**All things must end, little one…'**_

'_**But there can never be an ending without a beginning…'**_

'_**Eventually, your dreams will fade and be replaced by something even more precious…'**_

'_**And we both know what that something is…'**_

"Onee-Sama" Yumi whispered under her breath as a captivating smile graced her unblemished, yet tear stained, features.

'_Onee-Sama…'_

'…_I want to see you…'_

'_Touch you (…)'_

'_And return to the way things were'_

'(…)'

'_**In time, little one…'**_

'_**We have already set in motion an event that will change her life…'**_

'_**We must now be patient, we will see her soon…'**_

'_**Very soon'**_

Yumi sat up from her bed and walked towards the washing room which housed a broken and maggot infested toilet, an equally repulsive shower and bath combination which would have been enough for any normal person to throw up or even flee from such a traumatising sight, perhaps even both.

Yumi however didn't see it as any of these things. In fact, her newest surroundings were far more promising, less repulsive and thoroughly more habitable than the place she had been forced to live in for the past 9 years.

So, without a second thought, Yumi slipped her sweat stained panties down her legs and let them rest against the moss covered floor. Her panties were shortly followed by her short sleeve shirt, bra and nightgown which she usually took to bed with her for added protection. Yumi picked up her nightgown and withdrew a sharp looking stiletto from the previously knitted fabric before proceeding to the filthy shower cubicle which awaited her.

The shower, in a previous life, used to run hot and cold water effectively, however, after many years of disuse it no longer had the capabilities to use the hot water meaning Yumi was forced to shower under freezing conditions. She winced slightly as the cold water lapped against her skin repeatedly ignoring her primal instinct which demanded that she distanced herself away from the ice cold water.

Yumi placed the stiletto on the edge of the bath tub and proceeded to wash her body with the newest brand of shampoo. The faint smell of peaches engulfed her senses and a smile crept into place as she remembered a fond memory from her past.

* * *

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12 Years ago

There was a light breeze this evening, a breeze which contrasted the warm weather of the past few days but even so Yumi didn't care. She couldn't care. After all, Yumi was not only in the company of the one woman she admired and unknowingly held feelings for, but she was also visiting a place which held a special meaning in her heart, Sachiko's summer house.

Yumi was sitting opposite Sachiko as the faint smell of peaches wafted from the freshly arranged picnic basket which had been positioned in between them. A treat the house's carers had kindly arranged for the former Rosa Chinensis' sisters before they arrived.

Both, Yumi and Sachiko had decided to accompany each other for a week's holiday at the Ogasawara's summer house. The idea however had been formed by Sachiko who arranged this occasion to congratulate her Petite Soeur's final year at Lillian High and for her graduation to Lillian University.

Sachiko and Yumi coincidentally, were well aware that the Roses, both former and present, had arranged a secret party to celebrate their former Roses graduation. The party was so secret that the recipients of said party where already aware of it, although, Shimako, Yoshino and Yumi never admitted this fact to anyone for fear of offending them.

However, even though the party had already been thoroughly planned and subsequently arranged by the group. Sachiko decided that, as her Onee-Sama, it was her responsibility to personally congratulate Yumi for all her hard work and for becoming the Petite Soeur she never knew she wanted, till that fated meeting.

While Yumi was leaving High School, Sachiko was finishing her first year of University with a spotless record both punctually and academically. She had progressed so far with her work that she juggled her academic responsibilities with that of her family.

The senior members of the Ogasawara family had decided that it was time Sachiko began doing menial tasks for the company. Sachiko accepted her father's request and was in the middle of her first ever assignment. Ogasawara Tooru had asked his daughter to buy out the owner of a privately owned property, somewhere out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for reasons that had never been explained to her.

However, Sachiko didn't probe to find the answers as her Ogasawara instincts, and the teachings of Lillian School, had taught her that she must never question her superiors or that of her family. Instead she must abide by these uninformative rules, but truly Sachiko didn't care enough to ask because it was her family's business and not hers to worry about.

Sachiko lent back slightly, her hands resting on the cotton sheet below her as she took another look in the direction of her Petite Soeur. Sachiko watched as Yumi reached into the basket and produced a peach from its wooden base with a contented look adorning her beautiful face. Yumi took a single bite from the peach without realising that Sachiko was watching her with great interest.

Sachiko enjoyed these special moments with Yumi, especially when Sachiko saw her Petite Soeur happy and comfortable in her Onee-Sama's presence which always brought forth feelings that she couldn't explain but the feeling was in no doubt that of warmth and admiration.

Yumi seemed to notice Sachiko's focus shift to her and the task of eating the peach became more difficult as a blush began to spread from her neck all the way to her face. Yumi, however, regained her composure, turned to face her Onee-Sama and smiled a beautiful smile which could disarm many admirers, including members of the Rose family.

"You seem to be enjoying that peach, Yumi…I hope you have enjoyed our trip to my summer house just as much." Sachiko said with a teasing smile. Yumi managed to control the returning blush as she responded "Yes, I have enjoyed my time here, with you, very much and I'm very grateful that you took the time to do this for me…I know you're busy with University and…"

"Yumi, I wanted to do this…I wanted to celebrate not only your time in high school but our time as well. Many things happened in that school. Some of them were satisfying while others left me angered or even saddened, but the best thing that ever happened to me in that place was…meeting you, Yumi." Sachiko held Yumi's caring gaze as she spoke from her heart for the first time in many years to a woman who had opened her heart to the world which she had come to despise.

Sachiko took another look into the colourful and beautiful garden before returning her attention to Yumi "I never believed I would find a Petite Soeur in that place…In fact, I never wanted a Petite Soeur but that was until I met you. Our meeting left an impression on me and it seemed I was drawn to you ever since. I want to celebrate all those times we shared together because those memories are most precious to me"

It was at this point that Yumi leaned forward and placed her hand against Sachiko's as she looked up at her with a smile full of affection. "Those times are precious to me too; I always admired you Onee-Sama. I admired you but always from afar and I'm glad that changed because I got to meet the real Sachiko-Sama who accepted me for all my limitations…"

Sachiko huffed slightly at this last word, _limitations, _what a self-deprecating thing to say. However, the senior of the two was well aware of Yumi's lack of confidence. Yumi had improved vastly since their first year as Soeurs but it was still a hurdle that was not easily crossed.

"Yumi, listen to me. I accepted you because you were the only person I wanted involved in my life. The only person I had ever personally sought out. And these limitations you speak of…you say it as if it were a bad thing. We all have our limitations Yumi, myself included. My limitation was openness and isolation. I was afraid to open my heart to the world but I found I wanted to when I was in your presence" Sachiko stood up from her spot and gracefully made her way towards Yumi.

Yumi watched as Sachiko settled herself down next to her. Sachiko claimed her hand in a tender motion as the former returned the sentiment of the act. Yumi couldn't help herself as her head rested against her Onee-Sama's shoulder and was further surprised when her Onee-Sama did not protest against the tender act but instead stroked her long strands of fragrant hair.

'_She really does smell like peaches…'_

'_What a wonderful smell.'_

Sachiko continued as she placed a kiss on Yumi's temple, stroking the brown locks between her fingers. "I love you, Yumi. I love you because of all your little insecurities, your wonderfully charming personality, and your expressions that betray your inner thoughts. I love all of you, Yumi. Limitations included, because in a way that's what love is…loving someone as a whole rather than their positive traits."

Yumi smiled within the crook of her Onee-Sama's neck, her body and mind contented for the first time since Sachiko left Lillian High. "I love you too, Onee-Sama…limitations and all. I missed you, Onee-Sama. Ever since you left Lillian High I saw less and less of you and I was scared that we would never see each other again" Yumi whispered burying her face further into the crook of Sachiko's neck out of embarrassment.

Sachiko, however, was unaware of this blatant fact as she was becoming increasingly distracted by Yumi's warm breath which lapped against her neck in a seemingly repetitious cycle. Sachiko was lost in that moment merely digesting this moment which she had missed just as much as Yumi.

Eventually, Sachiko responded "That would never happen, Yumi. I'm sorry that I saw so little of you but all that is about to change. I wanted to see you… so very badly but my responsibilities kept getting in the way which is why I came up with a plan."

Sachiko gently manoeuvred Yumi's head from her neck and directed it towards herself. Their faces were millimetres apart, evading each other's personal space but neither cared as they had grown to trust in one another, and in Sachiko's case only Yumi was allowed this close proximity. Not even Suguru or her own Onee-Sama where allowed this close, only Yumi…always Yumi.

"I have decided to move out of the Ogasawara Mansion and move into the dormitories at Lillian university…and…I was wondering, whether you would like to share a dorm together…I don't mean to push you away from your home and this is only a suggestion but I would very much like to catch up on lost time and enjoy University life with you by my side" Sachiko whispered as the first signs of anxiety crept into the usually composed Ogasawara Sachiko.

Several seconds later, Sachiko's nervous disposition vanished as Yumi smiled brightly, squealing in excitement, and hugged her Onee-Sama a little too forcefully. "Yes Onee-Sama…Yes, I mean…Could I? I wouldn't be in the way would I…?" Sachiko raised her eyebrows in exasperation and Yumi suddenly remembered the conversation they had earlier.

'_Way to go Yumi…'_

'_You just had to say something so stupid…'_

'_Even after Onee-Sama talked at length about overcoming our limitations…'_

'_Even after Onee-Sama kindly offered something I had only ever dreamed about.'_

"Sorry Onee-Sama, I accept your offer…I would be more than happy to share a dormitory room with you. I was planning to move into the dorms anyway but now I can move in with someone I know and trust, thank you Onee-Sama" Yumi replied confidently as she put all her emotions into each word and syllable trying to convey the feelings which were contained deep within her heart without revealing its true nature.

"Okay then, I will arrange this myself. I already have permission from my family to leave the mansion. Now, all we have to do is get your family's permission which shouldn't be a problem…but enough about that. For now I feel both sleepy and full, so if you don't mind I'm going to lie down and have a rest for a while" Sachiko then gave a last squeeze on Yumi's hand and leant back against the sheet fidgeting slightly to find a comfortable place to rest.

Yumi was surprised by her Onee-Sama's uncharacteristic action and couldn't stop the words from slipping from her mouth "Are you really going to sleep here? Wouldn't you prefer your own bed?"

"You have to take advantage of the weather, especially when it's like this, so no. I would prefer to sleep here in the open where it is more peaceful" Sachiko answered in an even voice contented with the warm breeze and subtle noises of the birds overhead.

After several minutes, Yumi decided to follow her Onee-Sama's example rather than stare at both the garden around her and the sleeping princess beside her. Yumi turned her back to Sachiko in an attempt to stop looking and admiring her breath-taking looks.

Yumi fidgeted slightly in an attempt to find a comfortable spot to fall asleep in. Unfortunately, Yumi didn't realise that she was edging ever closer to her Onee-Sama who was fast asleep dreaming about the person who currently lay restlessly beside her.

Their close proximity only became apparent when Yumi's back made contact with Sachiko's front. Yumi flushed a deep red when she felt mature breasts pressing against her back and froze on impact fearing for the worst. However, while Yumi froze expecting a verbal lashing from the notorious Ice Princess, instead something remarkable happened.

Sachiko subconsciously sensed her Petite Soeur's close proximity as well as her anxious emotions and acted on impulse. Sachiko's, Onee-Sama instincts taking full affect. She raised her arm towards Yumi and wrapped it around the latter's stomach in a protective embrace, pulling Yumi closer to her own mature frame.

Yumi was shocked by this simple yet protective action and her conflicted feelings of happiness and surprise warred within her as she succumbed to the personal embrace. However, Sachiko hadn't finished as she raised her only available leg and wrapped it around Yumi's slightly shaking pair.

The scene had suddenly turned from innocent and protective to increasingly intimate but Yumi secretly longed for this close proximity and decided to enjoy every minute of it as she smiled and blushed a bright red. Yumi almost moaned a satisfied murmur when Sachiko pulled Yumi even closer to her frame, Sachiko's breath pressing against the nape of her neck.

Yumi could hear faint words passing from her Onee-Sama's parted lips but it was hard to distinguish as the only sound she heard was the sound of her ever beating heart.

"Yumi…Yumi…Yumi" Sachiko whispered again and again. Yumi finally comprehended the words she whispered and had to hold back tears of joy that Sachiko felt something for her. While it was not the love she carried for her Onee-Sama, she was still happy that she meant something to the woman of her dreams.

"I love you Onee-Sama, but only (…) there (…) it was always (…) But you'll (…)"

Then the distant memory began to fragment as more and more of Yumi's memory began to slip away. The memory began to become distorted and forgotten, the result of Yumi's shattered mind.

Hints of the truth fabricated within the lie of her past.

* * *

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Yumi stepped out of the shower as she was welcomed by the all too familiar bedroom which was beyond inviting yet to Yumi seemed like an appropriate place to live considering her actions and past living conditions. Yumi flung the towel onto a nearby chair which collapsed under minimal wait from the soaking wet towel.

Despite the loud thud, Yumi ignored it and approached her dresser pulling out her usual clothing which was a pair of slightly torn denim jeans, a plain white t-shirt hidden by a dark black hoodie which she had opted to use since arriving back in town. She wore the hoodie to hide her face from people who may recognize her…she had her reasons and knew that she had to be careful.

After dressing, Yumi proceeded towards the last remaining window of her bedroom, at least the only one whose window wasn't broken or smashed in, and opened it as her eyes focused in on her safe haven for 3 memorable and live changing years, Lillian High School.

She then sifted her focus to the nearby University and gripped the sides of the windows. She still remembered Sachiko's promise about moving in together. About catching up on lost time, staying together for the benefit of each other but that never happened. 10 years ago, she was cruelly taken from not only Lillian University but her happy future alongside her Onee-Sama, Ogasawara Sachiko.

'_They stole everything from me…'_

'_My family, my future, my hopes and my dreams…'_

'_And for what…?'_

Suddenly, Yumi heard a voice within her mind, the same voice she sought comfort in and the voice which promised revenge against the people who caused her pain, caused her to become this monster that delighted in pain and suffering, which possessed a shattered mind full of fabrications and misinformation.

'_**A certain future…'**_

'_**They stole that from you…'**_

'_**And it's time that the people responsible for your suffering vanish…'**_

'_**But not before suffering your anger and unrelenting hatred…'**_

Yumi ignored the menacing voice but agreed fully with its sentiment. She would make them pay for all the wrongs they had inflicted upon her life and enjoy it while she did it.

Yumi smiled bitterly at the two schools, one which filled her with happy memories and fortune while the other teased her for the future she had been promised but had been stripped of.

Sighing slightly, she lifted her head and proceeded to sing a song in a beautiful and alluring voice which only Yumi could possess. A song she had sung many times in the darkest corner of the world, in the isolation of her cage which punished and tormented her.

"Early One Morning…

Just as the sun was rising…

I heard a young maid sing…

In the valley below…

…

Oh, don't deceive me…

Oh, never leave me…

How could you use…

A poor maiden so…?

…

Remember the vows…

That you made to your Mary…

Remember the vows…

Where you vowed to be true…  
…

Oh, don't deceive me…

Oh, never leave me…

How could you use…

A poor maiden so…?

…  
Oh Gay is the garland…

And fresh are the roses…

I've culled from the garden…

To place upon thy brow…

…

Oh, don't deceive me…

Oh, never leave me…

How could you use…

A poor maiden so…?

…

Thus sang the poor maiden…

Her sorrows bewailing…

Thus sang the poor maid…

In the valley below."

Yumi then finished her rendition of a song close to her heart and picked up a bag which was full of an assortment of weapons which looked both menacing and lethal.

She proceeded through the front door and was immediately engulfed by the ever approaching darkness, and then Yumi was gone.

* * *

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It was late at the Ogasawara Mansion and the joint force of Sei and Youko were attempting to calm down the hopeful and desperate Ogasawara Sachiko who was pacing the hallway with a determined look.

Sachiko had demanded that all her past friends from the Rose families, who had any connection to Yumi, were to meet at the Ogasawara Mansion where she would share news of Yumi's, apparent, recent emergence.

Sei and Youko attempted to, once again, calm Sachiko down and repeatedly told her that it was merely her desperate mind attempting to reassure her that Yumi was still alive. The two were so sure of this that they even called members of the group to ignore Sachiko's demand and return to their own lives.

Sei and Youko were not being cruel by doing this but they both understood that members of the Roses still held scares over Yumi's disappearance; many hadn't recovered from her loss. Especially Touko, who had suffered more than most due to losing her Onee-Sama at a time when they were both needed by the other.

So Sei and Youko warned the group to stay away in the hope that old wounds wouldn't be reopened and so that they could finally move on and keep their past feelings of Yumi buried and left to fade with the passage of time.

However, to Sei and Youko's surprise the whole group, who hadn't seen each other for many years, turned up at the Ogasawara Mansion. Sei was left bewildered as she didn't think they would turn up due to their lives and acceptance of the past while Sachiko believed they all would come because, like her, they all felt a noticeable gap in their lives which could only be filled with Yumi's presence.

The entire group was desperate to hear news of Yumi, especially Touko who was both enthusiastic and forceful as she demanded desperately for any news of Yumi who she had missed desperately and wanted to see with all of her broken heart.

After the commotion settled down, Sachiko relayed the news of the Rosary, hiding the fact that it belonged to the Rosa Chiensis family; being found in the place she had left her valentine card many years ago. The response from the group was split as some believed that only Yumi could have known about the significance of that spot but others didn't believe the evidence was enough to suggest Yumi had finally returned.

"If Yumi had returned then why didn't she come to see us?" Eriko asked to the group at large as they all inspected the Rosary. However, Eriko's question remained unanswered as the group looked towards Touko who screamed in surprise. The group looked towards Touko for an answer to her surprised scream.

Touko regained her vocal composure while her body shook out of shock and in equal part hope. "That Rosary belongs to me…it's mine." Touko eyes remained wide as the group turned from the Rosary and back to Touko.

"Yours? What do you mean by yours, Touko-Chan? It could be anybody's" Youko asked as the group murmured similar questions. Sachiko was already aware that this Rosary belonged to her side of the Rose family and waited for Touko to inform them of this fact which she had kept hidden from the other members of the Roses.

'_Better for them to hear it from another source…'_

'_They already question my sanity and if I told them that the Rosary was mine…'_

'_Then there would be more reason for them to distrust my opinion…'_

'_Well done Touko, I know you would notice it.'_

"Youko-Sama, can't you see…this is our Rosary? Feel the weight of it and you will realize it yourself" Touko handed the Rosary towards Youko who nodded her head at the idea. The latter held the Rosary in the palm of her hands and, suddenly, the memories and the feeling of the Rosary confirmed Touko's suspicion that it was, without a shadow of a doubt, the Rosary which belonged to the Rosa Chinensis' family.

"She's right, Touko-chan's right…This is our Rosary but how…? I thought Touko kept the Rosary because she never found a Petite Soeur? So, how did this Rosary turn up at the Greenhouse?" Youko asked question after question as suddenly the possibility of Yumi's return became more realistic.

"Yes, Youko-Sama, I never found a Petite Soeur so I kept the Rosary in my Mansion but…several weeks ago my house had been burgled. All of my riches and prized possessions where left untouched all, except, the Rosary that I had hidden within my safe. Nobody could have known the combination except myself and…and Yumi"

The whole group looked at Touko open mouthed as Yumi emergence became increasingly likely. Sei asked rather hoarsely "What was the combination to your safe?" Touko blushed slightly and replied lost in thought "It wasn't a number combination but a single word that nobody should have known except for us".

Yoshino walked towards Touko and asked rather harshly "Touko, what was the combination to your safe?" Touko retreated slightly realising she had left the group without an answer and replied fondly "Map." The whole group looked at one another and asked why she had gone with map.

Touko replied "I told Yumi about the day I was asked to colour in a map the way I wanted, but after colouring it in I…I realised that it didn't turn out the way I had intended…the reason's not important but only Yumi could know the significance of that word because she was the only one who ever knew about that day…until now"

Sei however looked doubtful as she asked the group "Do you really think Yumi would go into her Petite Soeur's house and steal something that precious from Touko-chan?…I'm not convinced but I can't deny that it is a distinct possibility" Sei rubbed her head as she contemplated all the information in front of her.

It was at this point that Touko believed fiercely that Yumi was alive. The other members of the group remained silent as Sachiko and Touko continued to provide more information, pleading their case to the others that reopening their search for Yumi who not be in vain.

It took little evidence for Yoshino, Shimako and Noriko to believe that Yumi had returned to them. Perhaps, out of her hope and desperation or maybe out of a strong belief that Yumi had finally found a way back to them, leaving a clue for them to find.

It took several more minutes before, eventually, the entire group agreed to undergo the search once more but under one condition.

Sei, Youko, Eriko, Rei and Nana-chan were all on the fences. Unsure whether the evidence provided warranted another search so they decided to introduce a final condition.

The condition being, that if they failed to find Yumi within 2 months then they would give up and continue to believe that Yumi had passed away, like the police believed. Sachiko and Touko reluctantly agreed to this condition but silently promised that they would continue looking no matter what the others said.

Eventually, after several hours of catching up and remembering fond memories of Yumi the group dispersed from the Ogasawara Mansion. Heading their own separate ways much like they did when Yumi was announced dead.

* * *

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It was dark now and Nana-Chan was hurrying down the street lit pavement deep in thought. She was alone and wondering who Yumi was, Nana-Chan couldn't remember Yumi's face or whether they had met even though she was the Rosa Chinensis in Nana's first year.

However, Nana-Chan presumed that her affection for her own Onee-Sama had, perhaps, clouded her memory of the girl who was so important to not only Yoshino but to the group at large. Nana had a sense that Yumi was extremely kind and helpful; she also couldn't shake the fact that she had talked to her before but couldn't remember the person or the voice which accompanied said memory.

Nana was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the traffic lights turn from red to green as cars hurtled away. She didn't notice this, however, and stepped past the warning lights for walkers and proceeded towards the other side of the road.

"Wait" A woman called from behind her, grabbing Nana before she could take another step onto the road. Nana was thrown from her thoughts and recoiled slightly as a car whizzed straight past her, its horn blowing in annoyance due to the woman's lack of care or attention.

Nana sighed in relief as she watched the car vanish from sight. The woman behind her let go making sure Nana was able to stand alone without support. Nana then remembered that she had been saved by someone directly behind her and turned to face her saviour.

Before Nana could offer her gratitude, the woman in front of her reached out towards her neck line. Nana shuddered slightly; closing her eyes in the process, thinking of the worst but was surprised when she felt the woman untie the tie which now lay between her saviour's fingers.

"Your tie, it was crooked" the figure informed as she pulled the tie around Nana's collar. "What?" Nana mumbled in utter surprise for this strange turn in events. One moment she was being saved, the next she was fastening her perfectly shaped tie.

"You should always be aware of your personal appearance. Maria-Sama is watching, after all." The figure then patted Nana's now perfectly shaped tie and proceeded down the road with a simple "Gokigenyou". Nana followed the woman with her eyes till she was out of sight while contemplating the events which could have ended so very differently if it weren't for her saviour's rescue.

Nana suddenly felt her cheeks redden as she remembered the angelic face which accompanied such an elegant and sweet voice. Her heart began to beat over and over again in quick succession as she remembered the feel of the woman's hands around her abdomen in an almost protective embrace.

'_Who was that…?'_

'_I mean…'_

'_I don't even know her name…'_

'_She was so very beautiful and kind…'_

'_Why haven't I seen someone so beautiful before…?'_

'_Why didn't I say anything to her, I didn't even thank her.'_

"Who was that?"

* * *

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Author's Notes: I'm finally back from holiday and ready to write out this story. Glad to be back because I did really miss this.

I'm gonna keep this short because I did write an awful lot for this chapter (In fact on second thought too much and btw this is 5,000 words not 7000 plus)and I'm sure you must be tired of reading block after block of writing.

Just so you all know the next two Chapters have been thoroughly planned so they should be up in the near future. Like I said before if you want a continuation please review because I would like input on the story, writing skills, improvements, issues and any other stuff. I would be very grateful for your help.

The next Chapter will be up sometime next week, I hope. Love Will Tear Us Apart will be up when I finish these 5 Chapters, Part 3 included. So I have a lot of writing to do in a short amount of time. I just hope I don't burn myself out because that would be very bad.

I'm glad to see new works in the Maria Sama Universe. Such great work such as the Passing Wind which is amazing and criminally under reviewed for such a beautifully written story. ReHumanizing Sachiko is also fantastic and well worth the read from an extremely talented writer which has received its rightful praise.

I'm also going to start responding to reviews in these author notes. So if you have any questions etc I will answer them under these author notes with your name so you know I'm talking to you obviously.

Hope you enjoyed this Chapter and stay tuned for more works from me in the coming future

:D

The song above btw is called Early One Morning in case you're interested. There are many different renditions of the song so you may not find the one I was using but it is a great song which I felt fit the character of Maria Sama to a tee.


	4. Forever Drifting Chapter 4

Maria Sama Ga Miteru

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Forever Drifting

By Miracles79

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Chapter 4

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* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters they belong to the amazing Oyuki Konno who brought Maria Sama Ga Miteru into our lives.

I advise you DO NOT read this if you are under 16 as it is a very dark interpretation of Maria Sama Ga Miteru. Read at your own discretion.

* * *

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It had been several days since their meeting at the Ogasawara Mansion and the search for Yumi had already begun. The group was focused on one thing and one thing only, and that was finding the missing link in their lives. The bubbly and enigmatic, Fukazawa Yumi.

However, they were not alone in their search as they were aided by the local police force that reluctantly caved to the wishes of the powerful head of the Ogasawara Company.

Sachiko had even gone as far as sending out her personally assembled search teams in the hope that an increased strength in numbers would result in Yumi's finding. She was not alone in this, however, as the Matsudaira Family also assembled search teams at Touko's request (Or rather forceful demands).

The former Roses had sent fliers around the neighbourhood, showing Yumi's likeness and contact information if she were found. Posters were displayed around shopping districts, local schools and other public places as a way to gain awareness of their cause.

But most importantly, an award of around 12 million yen (Equivalent to 150,000 Dollars) had been personally offered by the Ogasawara Company for any information that resulted in Yumi's discovery. However, the group would later realize their grave miscalculation when it concerned offering money for information.

Yumi's face could be seen in the local media and a thorough description was sent to all members of the police forces. Attached to the description, however, were instructions to not only find Yumi but to ensure her safety if the need became apparent. Yumi's safety was Sachiko's number one priority, more so than her own.

A week had passed since their first meeting at the Ogasawara Mansion and there had been no sign or even a trace of Yumi, it was as if she was never here to begin with. But despite this, the group stood together, much like their days back in Lillian High, with a silent promise that they would find Yumi both safe and unharmed.

Unfortunately, the group patience was being severely tested by not only the police but also the majority of the public. They had received many calls from citizens who feigned knowledge of Yumi's location in the hope of gaining the sizeable reward for her finding.

It was at this point that Sachiko also made a silent promise to herself; a promise that all of the people that called the police without providing legitimate information would be made to suffer for their greedy and misleading nature. Such was the nature of a member of the Ogasawara Family who often lost focus when it came to things they truly loved.

After each day of searching, the group would convene at the Ogasawara Mansion to make a report on their progress with integral members of the police forces and other outside agents in attendance. But each time, the members of the group were forced to admit that they had hit a wall in their investigation.

This was true, especially in the case of Yoshino who had employed members of the Japanese police force to assist her despite being a member of the Bureau back in America were she previously resided. The renowned detective had made no significant breakthroughs in the only case which continued to elude her.

The search was looking increasingly bleak, with murmurs of dissent growing from the police who believed the search would turn up no new evidence of Yumi's apparent re-emergence. The group ignored this however and stayed together despite the occasional hysterics from Touko and Sachiko who were growing more and more disgruntled as time went on.

The days turned to weeks and then the weeks turned to a single month but still Yumi was nowhere to be found. The group continued to actively search for the former Rosa Chinensis' of Lillian High but their allotted time was fast approaching at an alarming pace.

In response to this unsettling predicament, both Sachiko and Touko had resorted to slaving themselves over finding Yumi. They rarely slept, if at all, and pondered over various pieces of information together, as well as leads which at times seemed misleading but they didn't let that derail them.

They would never give up on Yumi, the one they most desperately wanted and needed in their lives.

Meanwhile, Shimako and Noriko acted as the group's connection to the police force as well as the outside world. They often contacted, or were contacted, by members of the press and also their former High School, Lillian High, who gladly offered their assistance.

The pair continued to document pieces of evidence with the help of Eriko who sorted through, and separated, the fabricated information as well as the plausible information. Discouragingly, the fabricated pile was almost 10x times the size of the plausible info meaning that their investigation was turning up no results whatsoever.

As for Youko, while she did in fact search for Yumi, her main function was to provide assistance by making sure Sachiko's mental and physical health were sound. Many in the group feared that Sachiko would continue to overwork herself in an attempt to find Yumi. The group was well aware that this was a more than probable outcome, so Youko took it upon herself to protect her Petite Soeur like she had always done.

Sei supported Youko to the best of her abilities but was also actively searching for Yumi. The former Rosa Gigantea could often be found searching the surrounding area of the district for any signs of her favourite brunette but had been met with no success so far.

Nana helped the group by attending to their nutritious needs. Many were so focused on finding Yumi that they failed to eat meals throughout the day leaving them both groggy and unfocused. Nana decided to help in what little way she could while thinking about the woman who had not only saved her but also stolen her affections all at the same time.

Consequently, if Nana had seen any of the photos of Yumi littered around Sachiko's mansion then the investigation may have progressed a lot further than it had before now. Unfortunately, Nana was unaware that the person they were looking for was the very same person she had met only a month before.

So, with zero evidence, no hope and a police force demanding the search to be cancelled, due to the recent increase in violent deaths within their district, Sachiko's dream of reuniting with her Petite Soeur was beginning to slip away, minute by minute, day by day.

That is until they received an unexpected letter, written by an old friend back in their days of attending Lillian High School.

* * *

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It was late and the group were, once again, convening at the Ogasawara Mansion. Things were already looking bleak but their total lack of direction, and sufficient evidence, was beginning to take its toll on the already exhausted group.

The tension within the room had been growing steadily ever since they began looking for Yumi. This growing tension would eventually culminate in a verbal confrontation which could have ended the groups search if it had not been for the timely arrival of the fore mentioned letter.

The group was silent, pondering their lack of new Intel, until Sei-Sama spoke up to the gloomy audience. "So we have nothing, no sign of Yumi and no sign that she was ever here to begin with" Sei sighed loudly as she began to rub her temple in irritation.

The group remained silent, secretly agreeing with the troubling statement, all except Sachiko and Touko who remained vigilant in their belief that Yumi had managed to finally return to them. This was, however, done more out of a fading sense of hope rather than a growing belief.

"If that is how you truly feel Sei-Sama then I suggest you leave, I don't want to hear this right now" Sachiko couldn't hide her distaste at Sei's unhelpful words as she responded with venom laced within her voice.

After her words, Sachiko stood up from where she had previously been sitting and walked towards the older member of the group, her knuckles clenched in uncontrollable anger.

In response, Sei slowly moved away from Youko and made her way towards Sachiko who didn't back down from the silent challenge. "I never said I would leave Sa-chan but you've got to admit this is getting us nowhere…Yumi isn't here, we would have found her by now if she was…she would have come to us" Sei attempted to reassure the agitated member of the Ogasawara family but it seemed to have the reverse effect on the now trembling Ice Princess.

"Don't say that, perhaps Yumi is just frightened. I mean it's been 10 years since she disappeared…who knows what happened to her. Maybe, she is just worried that we would be angry with her." It was evident to all that Sachiko was no longer speaking with her usual air of confidence. Her confident aura had been replaced with the anxious and paranoid wreck that stood before them all.

Sei's patience was wearing thin at this point and in a moment of pointless stupidity, she lost her nerve and replied "Yumi-chan isn't the feeble girl you paint her out to be… She is a lot stronger than you and would have moved heaven and earth to return to us…She…" Sei was instantly interrupted before she could continue by an enraged Sachiko whose eyes would have pierced the hearts of lesser men.

"Don't pretend to understand her; I was Yumi's Onee-Sama for 3 years. I understand her more than anyone else in this room. That includes you Sei-sama. So, don't you dare pretend to know Yumi better than I do because…" Sachiko was about to continue her unsettling rant until she was quickly halted by her own Onee-Sama who quickly interjected on behalf of the group.

"Enough, your squabbles aren't helping," Youko walked towards the pair who were engaged in a threatening stare down. Youko turned Sei around so as to face her and continued "Sei, in what way did you think that outburst of yours would help? Listen, we are all tired and worried but, please, don't take it out on the group."

Youko's disappointed gaze cut through Sei like a knife and she dropped her head in shame for her troublesome behaviour knowing full well that she was the cause of the confrontation.

Youko then turned her gaze towards Sachiko and continued in an even tone. "And you, my precious Petite Soeur. Yumi is important to all of us, not just you, so don't paint yourself out to be the only one with something to lose. We all care greatly for Yumi-chan and know things about her that others don't. But there's one thing we all share, and that is that we love her and want to find her… So, quit this nonsense and let's find her."

After several seconds Youko rested the palm of her hand against Sachiko's shoulder and squeezed it gently, while also doing the same to Sei who responded by taking Youko's offered hand and kissing her knuckles affectionately.

After the commotion had settled down, Touko proceeded towards the 3 individuals and said softly "We all have something to lose. I love Yumi and I'm not ashamed to admit it but I don't intend to wallow in self-pity. That won't help us and it's not what Yumi needs from us right now…We need a leader, someone who is prepared to make the tough choices. A leader who is emotionally invested in Onee-Sama's safety…and that person is you, Sachiko-sama."

Sachiko looked at Touko with eyes full of doubt as she walked away from the group, her back pressing against the nearby wall in thought, as she whispered "Then we will never find her. I can't be a leader whose choices determine Yumi's fate. What if she is in danger and I fail her? If I lose Yumi again, I… I don't know what I'd do,"

'_Could I really go through that pain all over again…?'_

'_And, what if I place Yumi in further danger…?'_

'_What if I lose Yumi forever due to my failures…?'_

'_Could I really continue living knowing that I was the reason Yumi no longer existed?'_

After pondering these thoughts, Sachiko looked towards the startled group as she prepared to say the words she had pondered for over 10 years. "No matter how this ends…I will be with Yumi again, one way or another."

"Sachiko" the group reacted with outraged cries of surprise as Sachiko openly welcomed the idea of joining Yumi if the worst was the come to pass. However, before more could be said they heard a knock on the door accompanied shortly by a voice.

"Sa-chan, is Touko-chan with you?" The voice progressed through the door to reveal Ogasawara Sayako, Sachiko's mother. Clad in a white dressing gown, as she was evidently preparing for sleep, she moved closer to the group spotting Touko standing to her daughter's right and procured a letter from her pocket.

"This was left at our gate; it's addressed to you but was left at the gate of our mansion. Obviously someone knows you are here. Here, take it, I assure you it's not dangerous we've already passed it through the scanners, just in case" Sayako placed the letter onto Touko's outstretched palm and watched as the latter's face scrunched up in evident confusion, pondering the contents of the letter.

"Well, the writing doesn't look particularly familiar… But, I guess I'll open it" Touko said in a thoughtful voice and proceeded to open the letter which enclosed a single page that had been written by hand.

Without pretence, Touko scanned the page in a composed manner. However, after several lines her demeanour changed in a blink of an eye. The group watched perplexed as her knuckles around the page tightened and her eyes darted side to side in a feverish rush. The group held their breath as she continued to read, knowing that this letter had something to do with Yumi. As nothing else could make Touko react in such a way.

Finally, when Touko read the name attached to the letter she fell back and landed with a slight thud against the couch as her breath quickened in…horror, fear, curiosity none could be quite sure. She then pressed the letter close to her chest where her heart's beating had quickened in response to the letter's content.

"Touko-chan, what is it? What was that letter about?" Youko asked as she snatched the thin piece of paper from the frozen actress. Touko remained motionless and allowed the thin piece of paper to slip from her fingers with no effort whatsoever.

With the letter now within her grasp, Youko proceeded to quickly scan the page and the group watched as her eyes turned to slits as she carefully scanned every word of the document before her. After she finished, Youko rushed over towards Sei who looked from Youko then back to the paper reading it in a hurry.

Sachiko continued to watch, rooted to the spot. Touko's gaze was still stuck on nothing in particular while Sei and Youko looked nervously towards one another. She didn't even raise her voice when the remaining members of the group huddled around the piece of paper in an attempt to read whatever the message contained.

Thus, leaving Sachiko completely out of the loop, so to speak. After everyone, excluding Sachiko, had read the letter they looked towards the slightly shaking member of the prestigious Ogasawara Family. Sachiko looked tentatively at each member of the group as if to gauge the contents of the letter from such a brief look.

Taking matters into her own hands, Sei took the letter in hand and walked towards Sachiko whose eyes never left the western face which expressed both worry and something else entirely.

"You better read this Sa-chan…It's about Yumi-chan." Sei whispered out Yumi's name as she placed the letter against Sachiko shaking palm. After the deed was done, Sei walked back towards Youko while Sachiko headed off in the direction of the fireplace. She then proceeded to read the contents of the letter with the aid of the light from the fire.

…

I write this letter in the hope that it reaches you Touko-chan and in the hope that I can answer the questions you have longed to hear for many years.

Time, however, is of the essence and I must meet with you soon, alone.

Sorry that it has taken me this long to write but in my search to find Yumi I seem to have made many enemies along the way.

That is unimportant because what's important is finding Yumi, and I've not only found her but I know what happened to her.

Only one problem, I'm in serious danger and can't risk being found by anyone who wishes me harm. But I've come up with a plan to resolve this particular issue.

On the 13th, which is in 2 days, I will meet you at the shopping district. That is when I will tell you all you need to know.

Listen, this next part is vitally important, you must come alone. I can't explain further but there is a reason for this condition which I will also explain when we finally meet.

And don't worry about finding me, I will find you. All you need to do is come at the right time.

The timing of this is important and you must arrive in the shopping district by 12.30.

Everything you have wanted to know will be answered then. Yumi's location, the reason for her disappearance…everything. Just come alone and all of your questions will be answered.

With Love, Camera-chan

…

Sachiko gasped in shock as she comprehended the final words of the letter.

'_Camera-chan…'_

'_Camera-chan…'_

'_Tsutako-chan.'_

Sachiko finally turned towards the group and walked towards Touko who still sat frozen on the couch. With careful precision, Sachiko sat alongside her cousin and held her hand in her own as she allowed Touko's head to fall against her shoulder with a slight whimper.

A minute passed when Sei finally stepped forward and spoke allowed to the group in a concerned voice. "Is it just me or does anyone else think this is too good to be true?" The group looked at her in confusion and Touko's unresponsive demeanour quickly changed.

"What do you mean by this is too good to be true?" Touko asked confused by the mere suggestion that Tsutako would play such an awful joke on her friends who longed to find Yumi.

Yoshino, after initial pondering, spoke up. Emphasising Sei's point in the process. "Sei's right, doesn't it feel strange to you guys? This letter was delivered directly to the Ogasawara Mansion with Touko's name attached. No offense Touko but, why wasn't Sachiko's name on that letter or anyone else's for that matter? How did they even know you were here?" Yoshino picking up on Sei's train of thought waited for a response, pacing as she did so.

"I-I don't know" Touko didn't understand what was going on but was beginning to understand the reasons for these questions.

"The letter was delivered to Touko but in the Ogasawara's home. Wouldn't it have been easier if it was written to Sachiko? Why you in particular? Why was it left at the gates and not handed to ourselves? Why must Touko come alone? And, is this really Tsutako-san? Let me have a look at the letter again." Yoshino motioned towards the letter resting on Sachiko's lap and the latter handed it over as instructed.

Wordlessly, Yoshino scanned the words in a slow methodical pace. Then spoke in a thoughtful tone "All right, it's Tsutako's handwriting, but I just can't shake the feeling that there is a hidden message in this somewhere. But that doesn't matter right now; we need to decide what to do with this information." Yoshino placed the letter on the desk and then walked back towards the group.

"What do you mean 'we need to decide what to do'? If Tsutako-chan really wrote this, as you believe, and has information concerning Yumi's circumstances then we must do as she says" Sachiko responded with finality as she looked back at Touko for support.

Sachiko was suddenly joined by Sei who knelt before the two, her hand resting against Touko's knee in a reassuring gesture. "Do you really plan on leaving Touko-chan alone with this? What if this is a trap and we lose Touko-chan like we lost Yumi-chan…? I say we go but together, strength in numbers, thereby ensuring Touko's safety."

Before either woman could respond to Sei's suggestion, Youko spoke up in tone full of control as she turned to face the pair sitting on the couch. "I agree, we mustn't abide by the rules of someone who communicates by letter. For all we know, Tsutako-chan may have been forced to write this against her will. Remember, it's just as important that we ensure each other's safety not only Yumi's."

With that Sachiko nodded her head in submission thus allowing Yoshino to conclude the meeting. "So, it's decided. In two days we will confront Tsutako in person and if it is not her we will confront whoever dares to trick us. Is this agreed?" Yoshino asked of the group and was reassured when the whole group nodded their heads and spoke up in approval.

'_2 Days and I will find out what happened to you, Yumi…'_

'_2 Days and I will finally get to meet you after all these lifeless years…'_

'_2 more days and this hell will end and my life with you will begin.'_

* * *

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2 Days Later

...

It was 12.25 at the shopping district and Touko sat patiently on a nearby bench while her friends observed her, at a safe distance, as she shook slightly in anticipation for this long overdue moment in their lives. The day Touko, and her friends, would find out what happened to Yumi and where she currently resided.

Ever since Touko arrived at the shopping district, she couldn't help but feel a nagging sensation at the back of her mind that someone was watching her closely. She looked around for any signs of the perpetrator but nobody seemed to pay her any mind, at least nobody in her vicinity.

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, Touko sat up from the bench and made her way towards a nearby water dispenser. After receiving her bottle of water, she gave a quick thumbs up to her friends who sat in a nearby café eating and talking calmly with one another, so as not to draw attention to themselves.

It was at this point that she was barged into by someone who clumsily walked into the back of her. Touko turned waiting for the offensive individual to apologize but when the person in question turned around to face her, she quickly walked in the opposite direction at a hurried pace.

"Well excuse me" Touko snapped at the retreating back of the hooded figure that bowed its head from view as the offender continued to hurry away from Touko whose scowl had not left her features.

The incident was instantly forgotten when Touko glanced up at the time. 12.30, Touko gulped nervously as she looked around for any signs of Tsutako while attempting to display a confident and controlled expression to reassure not only herself but her friends as well.

In the café, Sachiko observed Touko closely and couldn't help but notice how mature her cousin had become.

'_In such a short space of time Yumi could affect Touko into being a better person…'_

'_She has changed, and I am so proud of her…'_

'_I should have remained in contact with her…'_

'_But every time I see her, I am reminded of Yumi…'_

'_The pain never goes away, even if I wish it.'_

Sachiko then pondered over thoughts of Tsutako and her possible connection to Yumi while continuing to keep a close eye on her cousin who shifted nervously in her seat.

'_What does Tsutako know…?'_

'_Will she tell us where Yumi is…?'_

'_What happened to her…?'_

'_I need Yumi to come back to me…'_

'_And once I find her…'_

'_I will never let her go, never again.'_

Suddenly, Sachiko's thoughts of Yumi were violently cut off when she heard the unmistakeable sounds of screaming and hastening footsteps erupting from the centre of the shopping district. The group jolted to their feet as a gathering crowd sprinted past them displaying a terrified and fearful expression as they did so.

The group stared at one another in confusion and fear as they continued to watch the flock of people scramble towards the exit. However, by this time the group were completely unaware that Sachiko had approached the exit to the café despite the overgrowing crowd attempting to pass her by to reach the nearby exit to the shopping district.

Without a moment of contemplation, or concern for her own safety, Sachiko sprinted towards the source of the commotion at an ever increasing speed. "Sachiko, wait" Youko called after her but Sachiko took no notice of this feeble request as she continued her momentum towards the centre of the shopping district.

'_Could Yumi have found us…?'_

'_Then why would there be screams…unless…'_

'_No please, I can't lose her… '_

'_Not again.'_

Without a second thought, Touko followed her Grande Soeur's example as she chased after Sachiko in the hope that she would lead her to whatever the commotion was about. Fearing much like Sachiko that something irreversible had happened to her Onee-Sama.

Touko was closely followed by the rest of the group as they brushed past fearful shoppers who attempted to reach the exits. Manoeuvring left and right past the terrified shoppers they continued along the way with Sachiko heading the group towards the horrific scene they would soon witness.

After several minutes of dead ends, retracing their original steps and a multitude of stairs Sachiko spotted a large crowd nearby huddled around the side of an alleyway. She sprinted towards the crowd and forcefully pushed the curious bystanders away as she did so.

Sachiko's dislike of crowds was completely forgotten as she brushed past the slowly gathering crowd. Despite the occasional bumps and moans of displeasure, Sachiko rushed to the front of the crowd while the others continued their approach.

When Sachiko made it to the front, she suddenly froze in her tracks as she gazed upon the horrifying scenes that would plague her mind for many years to come, and cause her to have unbearable nightmares for the rest of her life.

It took several seconds before her friends forced their way past the terrified huddle of curious shoppers. But before they could catch their breath, they all gasped, whimpered or screamed in horror as they looked at the gruesome scene before them.

Lying in a pool of blood and torn flesh was a figure barely indistinguishable to the group if it had not been for two items about her person. Amongst the shattered bones, the ruptured stomach and mutilated corpse was a camera and pair of glasses which the group recognized all too well.

The brutalized and inhuman looking corpse was none other than the now deceased Takeshima Tsutako.

To the crowds horror Sachiko took a step forward. The sounds of the sirens nearby became nothing but white noise as her attention had been grabbed by something that should not have been there.

Carefully, Sachiko stepped past the severed limbs and piles of blood and guts as she walked towards the corpse which lay in pieces around the crime scene. Sachiko knelt next to the repulsive looking corpse and bent over the body as she observed the scratch marks at the slit of her stomach.

Pulling back slightly, Sachiko followed Tsutako's arm towards her hand which was still, thankfully, attached to her body. The former Rosa Chiensis' examined the famed photographer's fingers and saw the unmistakeable signs of flesh and bloodied skin between her fingernails.

It was safe for Sachiko to conclude that Tsutako had either purposely clawed at her own stomach or, what appeared more likely, been forced to claw at her own skin. The reason this appeared more likely was due to the noticeable finger marks on Tsutako's wrist were she had evidently been held.

Sachiko returned her attention to Tsutako's stomach and examined the words that the perpetrator had purposely written. Sachiko lifted the torn shirt as she read the words clearly displayed on the corpse's body.

The crowd watched as Sachiko retreated from the body, stepping on guts as she recoiled in horror. Holding her chest in an effort to control her breathing Sei asked "What, what is it, Sa-Chan?" while craning her neck around Sachiko's mature figure in an attempt to discern the reason for Sachiko's terrified expression.

"On her stomach, there's a word written there…" Sachiko spoke in a voice laced with worry and fear as she pondered the impact the words would have on the group, and on Touko who would be most affected by this single yet harmless word to anyone but her cousin.

Youko walked towards Sachiko as her gaze lingered from Tsutako and then to that of her Petite Soeur. Curiosity getting the better of her Youko asked "Word? What does it say?"

"Map" Sachiko answered as she ignored the comforting hand on her shoulder which had been placed by Youko and stared at the body behind her with disgust and confusion. Touko-Chan squealed in horror at the mention and, without warning, sprinted back through the crowd in a stream of tears. Fearing that not only was Yumi not here but that's she had also been met with the same fate as her now deceased friend.

The oldest members of the group chased after Touko with a simple "We'll look after Touko-chan, just wait for the police to arrive" and with that Youko, Sei and Eriko left the remaining girls behind as they chased after the heartbroken Matsudaira Touko.

As Sachiko prepared herself to leave the disturbing scene she quickly halted in her steps and turned back towards the horrific scene. Sachiko had seen something within her peripheral vision which drew her attention back towards the murder scene which was gazed upon by hundreds of curious bystanders.

Without a single word to the remaining group, Sachiko walked back through the murder scene towards the wall which was hidden from view. "Sachiko-sama, what are you doing?" Shimako asked with a shaky voice as Sachiko continued to approach, and avoid, the scattered limbs around her.

Sachiko either didn't hear Shimako's concerned question or didn't care enough to acknowledge it as she continued to walk towards the end of the alleyway. She stepped around the corpse much to the shock and gasps of the crowd behind her and continued along the passage.

After reaching the end of the passage Sachiko saw in greater detail what had caught her attention. Displayed on a nearby wall were words which had been written with pools of blood that slid down the wall making it hard for Sachiko to comprehend the words that had been conveyed in its message.

"Out of the way, Out of the way…make room, make room… Miss, I must ask you to leave the crime scene immediately?" Sachiko heard the faint calls from a policeman nearby as well as the multitude of sirens but didn't care to acknowledge them as she attempted to read the message.

Finally, after several silent seconds, the message was fully comprehended as Sachiko read the words which had been smeared in blood and she recoiled when a hand found its way to her shoulder.

The policeman attempted to move Sachiko by force but stopped when he saw the shocked look followed by numerous tears that flew painfully from her eyes. The guard looked towards the wall and back towards Sachiko in utter confusion.

"Excuse me miss, you need to leave, this is a crime scene. We need you to leave before you contaminate the evidence" The policeman said in reassuring tone but was stopped when Sachiko fell to her knees, coughing violently as she attempted to fight the overwhelming need to throw up. After several nerve-racking seconds the group watched as Sachiko collapsed, unconscious.

Yoshino, Shimako and Noriko attempted to rush to their friend's aid but were stopped when the police halted their movements. Yoshino quickly whispered something to Noriko and took out her police badge which permitted her access to the crime scene.

The police officer nodded his head in acknowledgement and let her through. Now freed, Yoshino quickly ran towards Sachiko, avoiding the corpse carefully as she did so, and ushered the policemen away from Sachiko before kneeling at her side.

"Sachiko, what's wrong? Sachiko, speak to me" Yoshino asked repeatedly but with no success whatsoever. She quickly scanned the area before her eyes rested on the wall nearby which was soaked in blood. She stood up ignoring Sachiko for the moment as she read the words to herself.

Yoshino's sharp eyes understood the words and its meaning in an instant and turned towards Sachiko in shock as she sat back beside her, her head in her hands as she whispered "What's going on? This doesn't make any sense."

Written on the wall was a single question, a question that not only pierced Sachiko's heart but caused both understanding and confusion. The words wouldn't make sense to anyone other than Sachiko and her closest friends who knew of the incident which had changed her life forever.

Written on the wall, soaked in the blood of their deceased friend, were 3 simple words.

'What's wrong Cinderella?'

* * *

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Author's Notes: One last Chapter to finish before I evaluate this story and whether it will progress further.

Btw there is in fact a BIG hint in the letter that Tsutako wrote to Touko. I wonder if you can find it, it's not hard to find and is in fact quite simple. So simple that Yoshino spotted it in 8 seconds (: if you spot it write it down as a review so I'll know. I'll think of some sort of reward later, perhaps early access to a new Maria Sama one-shot I'm working on.

Next Chapter will be up eventually but I'm quite bogged down in work at the moment (Which is the reason for the slightly early posting of this chapter) so I'm not sure when I'll be able to work on it. I'll update the stories progress on my Fan Fic Profile page which I used to do and have decided to continue to do.

I would like to thank Witchgar, Neslim (Who reviews my work often, which I am very greatful for ) and Spikesagitta for reviewing the last chapter. As well as the people who favourited this story and alerted it as well, It means a lot to me. All these things keep me going and gives me the will to write 5,000 words (On average) for each chapter.

While I may not be the most skilled writer, I am improving and it is thanks to all you guys for providing your suggestions and support. I will continue to write for a long time but as for continuing to write this story…I'm not so sure. I will wait till the next chapter to decide its fate.

:)

One last thing before I go, as you know I often like to leave music clips to hint at people's past and today is no different. Search for Ghost in the Shell OST – Torukia which will be used for Yumi, to you the reader you should know this song as Yumi's Suffering and Sacrifice…This song resonates deeply with Yumi's past, her actions, her suffering and the nightmares she witnessed and received through her sacrifice. Confusing I know but more will be explained in the next chapter, where things will begin to make more sense.

Best of Wishes Miracles79


	5. Forever Drifting Chapter 5 Part 1

Maria Sama Ga Miteru

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Forever Drifting

By Miracles79

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Chapter 5

Part 1

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* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters they belong to the amazing Oyuki Konno who brought Maria Sama Ga Miteru into our lives.

I advise you DO NOT read this if you are under 16 as it is a very dark interpretation of Maria Sama Ga Miteru. Read at your own discretion.

* * *

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It was late when the former Roses finally managed to return to the Ogasawara Mansion, carrying the unconscious body of their friend Ogasawara Sachiko. The only daughter of the Ogasawara family was quickly tended to by her parents and their team of extremely well trained doctors, looking for any sign of distress or injury.

Once Ogasawara Tooru managed to tear himself away from his only child, he turned towards the group of girls huddled at the entrance of his establishment. Youko, sensing the silent question, informed Sachiko's parents about the events that occurred at the shopping district as well as the death of their close friend, Takeshima Tsutako.

To say that Tooru and Sayako were shell shocked by the unsettling news would be a complete understatement and the former couldn't restrain himself from asking an untold number of questions.

"Youko-chan, why did this happen? Was this a personal attack against our family?" Tooru asked as he returned his attention to his daughter who still lay unconscious in the middle of the hallway. Youko, who also had her attention fixed on her precious Petite Soeur, moved a step closer to the pair and replied.

"I don't know. We received a letter from Tsutako, concerning Yumi's disappearance, but she never arrived at the arranged time. It seems she was killed without a single eye witness account, in broad day light no less." Youko watched as Tooru's expression seemed to darken and become surlier, stepping back slightly the former head of the Ogasawara Family mumbled something incoherent under his breath.

Realising his rude behaviour, Tooru quickly replied to this startling new information. "You say your friend was killed in broad day light, in the middle of a populated area with not a single eye witness account… And how does Yumi-chan figure into all of this? As I understand she died 5 years ago. Isn't that what the police told us?"

The group fidgeted nervously, pondering whether they should open up to the senior members of the Ogasawara family who didn't know of the contents of Tsutako's letter. Finally after brief glances, of acknowledgement, between one another, Youko reluctantly explained the connection between Yumi, Tsutako's death and the letter that had been delivered to the Mansion.

"We received a letter from Tsutako-chan 3 days ago. She claimed to have information regarding Yumi's disappearance but wouldn't divulge her information through the letter. Instead, she wanted to meet in person but… Somebody silenced her before we could even talk" Youko stepped back towards the group leaving Tooru to his thoughts as he looked from his daughter and back to the group in clear astonishment, as well as…maybe even fear.

Tooru quickly marched over and hurriedly whispered something to the guard at the door and the group watched anxiously as Sachiko was lifted onto his shoulders and taken to her room, for further inspection. The senior Ogasawara's watched as their daughter vanished from sight, Sachiko's mother quickly walking upstairs to look after her daughter.

The atmosphere in the hallway was extremely delicate as Tooru attempted to calm himself with various breathing techniques learned since he was a young child. He then turned towards the group and mumbled "I-I need to go to see my daughter. Please, feel free to occupy the lounge and ask anything to our staff…Th-They will be happy to help you." and with that Tooru climbed the stairs till he was out of sight.

The group, led by Youko, headed towards the lounge as they seated themselves on a pair of comfortable coaches and armchairs which lay pointed towards the television. Once the group settled down, they quickly conversed amongst themselves concerning the events that happened only mere hours ago, as well as whether they should continue the search.

Nana-chan interjected into the conversation and reluctantly asked "Are we going to continue the search. I-It's j-just…I mean, we are placing our lives in danger. Is Yumi's safety worth all of ours?" Nana wasn't a coward but she knew that continuing the search would not only put her life on the line but also the life of her Onee-Sama and friends who she adored above all else.

Yoshino gripped her hand tightly, rubbing her finger along Nana's forefinger gently, before she adamantly replied "Yumi-san is important to us. We won't abandon her now, not now that we know she's in danger. Truthfully, if this was anyone else outside of the group I would consider pulling out but… But it's Yumi-san. If she was in our position she wouldn't give up and she would decrease her own life span if it meant finding us. So no, Nana-chan, I won't give up and we will find Yumi-san."

The group nodded their heads at Yoshino's words all agreeing with her honest sentiment and understanding of the situation. Sei abruptly interjected her opinion into the situation "Fuck the time limit. I won't stop until I know Yumi-chan's safe and unharmed. I owe her that much, after all she did for me and after she gave my life a meaning I never knew existed…I can't give up on her now because she never gave up on me"

Youko silently reassured her lover with a gentle squeeze on her enclosed hand, their relationship, which for a team seemed on the rocks, was looking stronger and stronger as they focused on one goal and one goal alone; finding their friend, Fukuzawa Yumi.

With that final statement the group talked at length on their next course of action. Whether they should consult the local police with their new found information, whether they should look into Tsutako's background to look for anything that connected her with Yumi and many more things which all concerned the adorable brunette with her hair pulled up in pigtails.

Meanwhile, Touko was being comforted by a concerned Noriko who comforted her friend as she pondered the message that had been sent to her. The letter clasped in her enclosed hand as she remembered the combination which had been scratched into her friend's stomach.

'_How could anyone know about the combination…?'_

'_Only Yumi could ever know it but somehow that monster got his hands on it…'_

'_Was Yumi tortured into giving up the code…?'_

'_But why…?'_

At the thought of Yumi suffering physical torment, Touko forced her eyes closed attempting to fight the disturbing images that flooded into her mind's eye. Touko suffered with this for a while before she came to an abrupt conclusion.

'_No…'_

'_I would know if Yumi was hurt or in pain…'_

'_I know because…'_

'_I would have felt the pain I suffered 10 years ago…'_

'_When Yumi was taken away from me…'_

'_No, Yumi is fine…I know she is.'_

The group were eventually joined by Sachiko's mother, Sayako, who attempted to reassure the troubled group not only about the situation they were faced with but that her daughter was unharmed and merely sleeping for the moment.

The group were relieved to finally hear some good news and the previous tension within the room began to ebb away. Sayako allowed the exhausted group to stay at the Ogasawara Mansion for as long as they needed, it was late in the day and far too late for them to travel back home.

The group, willingly, accepted the generous request and decided to stay at the Ogasawara Mansion to recover from such a traumatic experience, for perhaps a day or maybe even two.

Sayako then led the group to the dining room were various meals were being made for them by the families personal chefs. The dining room was spacious yet beautifully decorated, as was the rest of the Mansion, and the room silent as they ate their meals, all contemplating the fate of their friend who had somehow become involved in such a life threatening situation.

Yoshino gazed around the room, more importantly the faces of her friends, looking for any signs of distress or post-traumatic stress. Realising that the group was stronger than they appeared, Yoshino returned her train of thoughts to the message written on the wall as well as the secret message left in the letter.

'_What does that message mean…?'_

'_What's wrong Cinderella…?'_

'_Was that a personal dig at Sachiko-sama….?'_

'_Does the killer know of the play…?'_

'_And of Sachiko and Yumi's relationship during it…?'_

'_The killer must be someone connected to that play, I know it is.'_

A clatter of a knife and fork broke her concentration for a moment before she quickly altered her line of thinking, instead thinking about the secret message that was hidden within the letter that Tsutako had delivered.

'_If you take away the capital letters of the beginning of each sentence it spells out a hidden sentence of its own…'_

'_It's too late…'_

'_What did Tsutako mean by that…?'_

'_Did she know her death was inevitable…?'_

'_Or did someone else alter the letter…?'_

Question after question flooded through Yoshino's mind as the case which continued to elude her became even more complicated and problematic. The introduction of this deranged killer had completely thrown her, she never expected Yumi to be involved in something like this.

'_What is going on?'_

* * *

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As the group finished their meals, and filled out of the dining room, they were welcomed by a strange and most unusual sight. As the group entered the hallway they saw a host of well-armed guards filling into the house in single file, the group watching as they were stationed around ever section of the entire house.

Some guards running upstairs to protect their designated area while other patrolled the corridors while remaining on high alert for any unexplained disturbances or sound which suggested possible infiltration.

The group was quickly herded into the living room by a bulky yet well-armed guard but as they were rushed into the lounge, Youko noticed something in the corner of her eye. Sachiko's father was talking venomously to the head of his own guard force, all the while pacing up and down the hallway in an anxious and deeply troubled manner.

'_What's going on…?'_

'_Why's the head of security here…?'_

'_For our protection…?'_

'_Or is something going on that we don't know about?'_

Sei attempted to question the guard who merely stood rigidly against the closed door, ignoring her frequent question with a simple "Please, step away miss. This is for your own protection." Sei huffed in annoyance at the response and asked the group angrily "What the hell is going on?"

When Sei's question was met, with shrugged shoulders and confused glances she returned her attention to the guard who continued to ignore the blonde's aggressive behaviour as she hurled abuse after abuse in his direction for not answering such a simple and straightforward question.

Youko, sensing the increased tension within the room, halted Sei's verbal onslaught as she interjected "That's enough Sei, I doubt even he knows what's going on. So leave him be, okay?" without waiting for a response Youko moved towards the frustrated blonde and gently grabbed her upper arm as she manoeuvred Sei towards the unoccupied sofa.

The group conversed at length about the recently armed development. While they understood that it was done for their protection, they were still left bewildered by the sheer amount of guards which had been called upon. Surely, the killer would not attempt to approach such a heavily fortified place. Perhaps the killer followed them, looking for any person associated with Yumi.

The group also talked at length about Yumi's possible with the killer. Whether she had been killed like Tsutako, which Touko angrily rebutted claiming that she would have known if such a thing had happened to her Onee-sama. The group wondered if Yumi was, perhaps, on the run and being hunted by this assassin for some unexplained reason.

However, the group declined this particular train of thought as they couldn't imagine that their kind and honest Yumi would be involved with a trained killer anyway. Yumi was the warm hearted, bubbly and caring girl that everyone had grown to love whether affectionately or even in a friendly manner.

Before the group's conversation could progress any further, they were interrupted by Sayako who knocked on the door before entering and addressed the situation after Sei's less than subtle enquiry. "The guards are merely performing a routine sweep around the grounds, they will be finished momentarily, I assure you."

Touko was the first to react to Sayako's statement as she replied "Routine, what's routine about this? I've never once seen this happen in the years I've stayed over." Sayako walked towards Touko in a graceful manner which almost matched Sachiko's pace, Sachiko's spitting image if only a number of years older.

Resting her hand against Touko's cheek, which she rubbed affectionately, she admitted as such "You are correct, Touko-chan. My husband is merely concerned for your safety and is prepared to employ more guards to make you feel safe and secure. But I promise you, there is really no need to worry."

Despite Sayako's assurances, the group continued to look concerned for one another but could understand the Tooru's position. They had permitted them to stay after such a tragic event and Tooru knew that they were still in shock by the whole experience. So, Tooru took it upon himself to lessen their worries by employing guards around the house for added protection.

Nobody would be able to reach them with this many guards.

Sayako stood up from her crouching position and addressed the group who listened tentatively "Now it is very late and you all need some rest. The guards will take you to your room. We believe it would be safer if you slept in two's and three's, so please decide this arrangement amongst yourselves" and with that Sayako walked back towards the door with one last smile and vanished from sight.

Youko took it upon herself to arrange the sleeping order so that there would be no arguments, even though she doubted there would be with how exhausted they all were.

"Alright, Sei you're with me. Noriko-chan you'll sleep with Shimako-chan, obviously. Eriko, would you be okay to room with Rei-chan and Yoshino-chan?" When the three nodded their head in understanding Youko turned to the two remaining girls and instructed them "Which leaves Nana-chan and Touko-chan, okay, now that that's all settled I shall wish you all a goodnight."

The group then left the lounge, with their designated guard who led the way towards their currently unoccupied rooms which were situated alongside each other.

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It was still late at night when Sachiko woke up from her unconscious state, scanning the area around her for any signs of familiarity, she quickly realised that she was in her old bedroom back in the Ogasawara Mansion and sighed slightly in relief.

Tilting her head backwards, Sachiko stared through a nearby window and towards the night sky overhead. A single thought that had continued to consume her troubled mind for so many unbearable years, a thought of her precious Petite Soeur, Fukuzawa Yumi.

'_Yumi…?'_

'_Are you alright…?'_

'_The killer somehow knows me…?'_

'_How else could he know about my reluctance to play Cinderella…?'_

'_Is he the reason you left, did you run to save my life?'_

Lost in thought, Sachiko moved onto her side as she faced the nearby dresser beside her bed. Noticing a nearby glass of water, she reached out towards it in an attempt to soften her dry throat but suddenly her attention was grabbed by the smiling face of her Petite Soeur displayed within the confines of a photo fame.

Sachiko's hand, unconsciously, altered its direction as she clasped the edge of the picture frame rather than refreshing glass of water she desperately needed. Leaning back, Sachiko admired the face of the person she had longed to see, cared for and fell in love with. She traced the outline of Yumi's blushing face and with this tender motion all of their experiences together rushed back into her.

Their meeting of pure chance: _"Wait."_

The unexpected rejection: _"I'm sorry but I cannot become your Petite Soeur, Sachiko-Sama."_

The overwhelming happiness when Sachiko finally found a Petite Soeur she never knew she wanted: _"Sympathy, bets, this has nothing to do with any of that. This is a sacred ritual, after all"_

Their precious time together and their more tender moments: _"I love you, Yumi"_

As well as watching Yumi mature into a beautiful woman with renewed confidence and composure: _"I'm very proud of you, Yumi. A year ago this would have broken you but not anymore it seems."_

Then…nothing, a notable gap where the experiences they would have had should have been. A love that could have been unfairly stripped away from them before they even had a chance to act on their feelings.

It had been 10 years and still the wound hadn't healed, still she clung to false hope but as long as her heart continued to beat then she would never give up on Yumi or the future she wanted for the both of them.

Ever since Sachiko realised her feeling for the younger girl, she wanted to open up to her and express the feelings contained within her bosom, not immediately but eventually. Sachiko wanted to get closer to Yumi, whether a simple hug or even a more adventurous kiss on the cheek. The former had deeply missed their shared skin ship and it was never the same when she did it with another human being, not that she welcomed advances from anyone.

Sachiko knew that she wanted Yumi to be more than her classmate, best-friend, even Petite Soeur…Sachiko wanted Yumi to be her girlfriend. It was the first time Sachiko truly wanted something which she could not attain through her pile of money. Not that she would pay off Yumi who would not only be disgusted but deeply hurt as she knew Yumi was both pure and silently romantic.

One notion however made Sachiko extremely uncomfortable and that was the likely answer Yumi would give her advances. Sachiko knew that she wasn't a lesbian per say, she loved one person who just happened to be a woman. This didn't mean she loved women in general…It was just Yumi who she could harbour these feelings despite her family's frequent attempts to arrange marriage to prominent members of their business partners.

Sachiko highly doubted that Yumi could harbour the same feelings as she did or that Yumi would see women, or even her, in a romantic light. But, she silently prayed that she was mistaken because to not only be accepted but have her feelings reciprocated would be the greatest joy in this world to Sachiko.

But to attain this dream she first had to find Yumi, both safe and unharmed.

Returning her attention to the picture, which she pressed into her bosom, she embraced the picture with love and affection as she whispered the name of the person she had loved for many years. "Yumi…" Sachiko fought back the fresh tears that attempted to flood her slightly reddened cheeks.

However, before she could muster another word or even fight the fore mentioned tears, an ear piercing scream filled the halls of the Ogasawara Mansion. Sachiko bolted upright, the picture falling to the ground in the process as she sat rigged on her bed, looking towards the closed door of her bedroom.

She remained still for a while as silence began to envelope her sense. Too afraid to move, Sachiko listened for the slightest sound of movement or noise which seemed out of place, as the beating of her heart reverberated around her ears.

Then something truly unexpected happened. Before Sachiko could react to the terrifying scream, a loud noise pierced the eerie silence, the thunderous yet unmistakeable sound of a nearby explosion. The Mansion shook violently at the unexpected attack and Sachiko was forced off her bed and onto the ground, such was the force of the tremor which had been sent throughout the entire Mansion.

Staggering to her feet, Sachiko sprinted towards the front door and threw it open with a loud thud. The sprinklers from above drenched her skin tight clothing as the fire alarm continued to ring in full effect. Sachiko was left slightly disorientated by the persistent noise as her surroundings became unclear and unsteady. She leaned against the now closed door of her bedroom and held her hands tightly around her ears for added protection as the ringing persisted.

Opening her eyes slightly, Sachiko saw the unmistakeable figures of Sei, Youko and the other members of the group staggering out of their rooms with clear looks of shock and bewilderment. Youko quickly spotted Sachiko and marched towards her as the group watched in equal part confusion and terror. "Sachiko what's…"

But before Youko could finish asking her simple question, another earth shaking explosion deafened the ears of the former Roses who screamed in surprise at their sudden change in safety as they watched a section of the Mansion nearby crumble under the intense pressure of the explosion.

The occupants of the furthest door away from the group, which belonged to Noriko and Shimako, luckily escaped mainly intact if not a little worse for wear.

Noriko had, fortunately, been further away from the blast than her own Onee-Sama and remained relatively unharmed but the same could not be said for her lover, Shimako.

As the explosion blew away pieces of the Mansion, Shimako was lifted off her feet and driven, back first, into the closed door of their room with a loud sickening thud which reverberated around the cramped walls of the hallway. The group watched this scene unfold in horror and without a second's notice; Noriko sprinted towards the heaving woman who gasped in pain as she examined her bleeding knees and bruised ribs.

"Shimako, are you okay… Shimako?" Noriko asked in a frenzied state checking for any signs of significant damage sustained to her lover's body. "I-I'm fine…Noriko, I…" but before Shimako could finish her sentence the group froze in horror at an unexpected and violent sound. Beneath the gentle patting of the sprinklers, and the roaring fire all around them was the unmistakeable sounds of gunfire ringing through the night sky.

The group backed away from the vicinity of the noise as their friends, Soeur's and lovers held the other in an attempt to make sure they were out of harm's way. They whimpered slightly as they listened, in uneasy silence, to the sounds of gunfire mixed with the terrified screams of unknown people.

"We need to get out of here. Sachiko, we must find your parents." Youko turned towards Sachiko who remained paralysed, in complete shock, staring at the ruins of the Mansion where she had been brought up as a little child. Now crumbling to rubble and burning like a nightmare from a long forgotten dream, right in front of her very eyes.

Noticing the terrified look in her Petite Soeur's expression, Youko took a hold of Sachiko's hand and marched the group towards the bedroom which belonged to the senior members of the Ogasawara family, a couple of floor's above.

As the group hurried towards the stairs the noise of repeated gunfire and collapsing bodies could be heard approaching ever closer. The group even had to avoid a collapsing chandelier as they sprinted ever closer to the stairs which they needed to proceeded up if they were to reach the Ogasawara sleeping quarters.

Muffled and silenced screams could be heard echoing around the barren walls which either been consumed by the ever spreading fire or destroyed by the increasing number of infrequent explosions caused by some unknown property or entity.

"This way" Youko commanded as several members of the group waited at the foot of the steps unsure whether they were supposed to head up or down the fore mentioned stairs. Taking matters into her own hands, Youko sprinted up the stairs her hand never leaving Sachiko's as they continued to pace the stairs one at a time.

However, it was at the top of the stairs that they were greeted by the most sickening sight they could have ever imagined. Littered around the hallway and pinned against the nearby walls were a handful of mutilated and dismembered bodies, whether maid or guard it was very much unclear of their identities.

Sachiko turned away from the sight which graced her eyes as she hid behind a nearby wall and slid down into a cradling position, her arms wrapped around her knees and head buried between her hands in an attempt to block out the horrendous scene she had just witnessed.

A shocked Youko turned towards the approaching group and attempted to warn them of this hideous sight but she was, unfortunately, too late.

As the remaining members of the group sprinted up the stairs they gasped in horror at the unwelcomed sight. Nana-chan clutched her throat after several seconds and staggered towards an open area near the stairs as she began to retch and throw up the remains of her previous meal.

Noriko calmed the troubled woman, rubbing her back in a comforting motion while Shimako stood paralysed by the horrific and disturbing images clearly displayed within her line of sight. Wondering how things could have possibly come to this.

Rei turned towards Yoshino to make sure she was okay but to her surprise the latter merely walked past her and towards the dismembered bodies, inspecting them one by one while being careful not to step on any torn off limbs or ruptured muscle and tissue.

A portion of the group watched in silence as Yoshino examined the mutilated bodies carefully; inspecting their wounds as she wrote notes in her notebook which was hidden within the inner pocket of her jacket.

When she returned to the group she opened with an unsettling statement which shocked the group to its core.

"Tsutako's killer is here, in this house."

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The group looked at each other nervously as the sounds of gunfire and terrified screams echoed around the empty hallway. "How can you be sure of that? I mean anyone could have done this." Sei asked in deep thought as she too looked at a nearby disfigured corpse.

"No this is definitely Tsutako's killer, the signs are unmistakeable" Yoshino returned her attention to the crumbled bodies as she openly voiced her inner thoughts unaware that she had an audience listening in, with equal part curiosity and fear.

"The killer could have easily slit their throats and continued along his way, but instead he took his time with his victims. Slicing off limbs and making sure to wound not kill before delivering the final blow. This is a killer the likes I've never seen before. Almost like a machine, a machine enjoys inflicting pain before ending the lives of its victims." Yoshino suddenly realised that her unsettling realisation had been voiced when she felt the stares of her worried friends but before she could encourage or even reassure them her cousin, Rei, interjected.

"We don't have time to admire him. We need to find Sa-chan's parents and leave immediately." And with Rei's statement the group finally came together to decide on their next course of action.

Yoshino nodded at Rei's statement and elaborated further on her point. "You're right, we need to find Sachiko's parents and then get the hell out of here. They should be down the hall past these bodies, right?" Yoshino motioned down the hallway and was relieved when Sachiko stood by her side and nodded her head to indicate that she was indeed correct.

"Alright then, if we go single file down the corridor then we are less likely to…um, step on anything" The group nodded in anxious approval as Sachiko stepped ahead of everyone else, eager to make sure that her family was safe and unharmed.

One by one the group carefully stepped past the scattered limbs and dead bodies of the Mansions employees. As they carefully made their way closer and closer to the door of her parent's bedroom, hugging the wall as they did so to avoid the mutilated corpses.

But before they could clear the line of dead bodies, another house shaking explosion rattled the mansion as well as the group who attempted to regain their balance despite the incredible force of the blast.

The force was so massive that Touko was knocked away from the wall by the sheer force of the blast and catapulted into a mess of blood and disfigured bodies who had been cruelly sliced to pieces. The blood crept into her naked skin and tainted her otherwise expensive clothes as she quickly scrambled to her feet with muttered screams, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Sachiko quickly rushed over towards her cousin, grabbing a hold of her arm and successfully dragging her away from the sickening sight. The former Ice Princess pulled Touko's petite frame to her own in an attempt to calm the hysterical and terrified girl who had witnessed such a mentally scaring sight.

Touko, at present, was a very unappealing sight. Covered in blood, other bodily fluids as well as matted, and bloodied, hair as she clutched onto the fabric of her cousin's sleeve while her head rested against Sachiko's bosom, in an attempt to fight back the tears that threatened to come forth as she began to hiccup slightly.

After much struggling, Touko couldn't fight the tears that poured from her eyes as she remembered the hideous sight of the disfigured guard looking up at her, shock and fear clearly etched on his face as he died.

"It's okay, Touko-chan, it's fine. You're safe, nothing is going to hurt you." Sachiko whispered as she affectionately brushed Touko's hair with her slender fingers. The group watched this private scene with a misplaced sense of happiness, despite the predicament they were currently faced with, as they watched Yumi's most important people console one another at a difficult time.

But now was not the time for such a tender moment, especially under these life threatening circumstances.

"Come on, we need to get to Sayako and Tooru; they'll know what to do." Sei shouted over the noise of the noise of the crackling fire and the ever approaching gun fire. The group continued towards their intended destination while ignoring the ringing sounds in their ears as well as the scrapes and bruises they had picked up on their travels.

The group followed Sei as they approached the door while avoiding the numerous maids who had been ripped apart by the mad man of an unknown story or origin, until finally the group arrived at the foot of Tooru's private quarters.

The group were breathing heavily from the amount of sprinting and dodging they had been forced to do and waited for Sachiko to knock on the door, as they caught their breath for a moment.

Sachiko approached the door tentatively as negative thoughts assaulted her mind and questions clawed at her ear.

'_Are my parents safe…?'_

'_Could they really be unharmed…?'_

'_Despite the numerous dead bodies littered around the hallway…'_

'_Could they really be alive?'_

And with a deep inhalation, Sachiko opened the door to her parents quarter's fully for the entire group to see.

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Nobody was inside. Sachiko took a step within the room which belonged to her parents but was surprised to see that they were not here. Stepping further into the house, Sachiko scanned the nearby area for any signs of a struggle or evidence to their present circumstances.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a bullet ricocheted against a nearby wall missing Sachiko by inches as she staggered slightly, tripping over in the process due to the shock at the unexpected attempt on her life. But, before she could react to the first gun shot, Sachiko heard a scream of surprise coming from somewhere inside the room.

"Sachiko." Tooru screamed as he withdrew himself from under the bed and scrambled to his feet in his haste to check on his only daughter's well-being. "I nearly shot you. I'm so sorry. I thought… Never mind we need to go now." Tooru was quickly joined by his wife, Sayako, who embraced her daughter with a tender yet warm hug.

"Is there a secret passage we can use or anything like that? It would be dangerous to use the front door." Sei stated hurriedly as another explosion racked the Mansion causing the group to stagger around and attempt to ignore the renewed ringing in their ears.

"We have no such thing. This isn't a movie Sei-chan; there is no secret passage out of here." Tooru responded as he went to his nearby desk and looked at the security footage for any sign of the assailant's position.

"Then we need to head towards the nearest exit." Sayako stated to the entire group but her plan was cut short when Tooru noticed something unsettling from the security footage. "We can't. Security footage of all the exits have been disconnected, all except one which is the front door. We don't know how many perpetrators there are and they could be at any of those exits. But they are clearly not at the front entrance. This is our only chance. We have to go now."

Tooru looked towards the group for any sign of dissent while keeping an eye on any sign of the perpetrator on the security screen.

"How many are we dealing with Tooru? A group of hooligans or what?" Sayako asked as she walked towards her husband. Tooru looked up at his wife with a saddening expression and replied "I'm sorry. I honestly don't know; whoever they are they are extremely coordinated, clever and thoroughly efficient. They took out 90% of my security camera's in no less than a single minute, which should be impossible." Tooru commented in tone of wonderment as he considered who they could possibly be dealing with.

"But that's beside the point. We need to leave now." Tooru stated as he walked back around the table and towards the open door, examining the hallway carefully before stepping outside and into the open.

"Come on." Tooru shouted as he led the group down the hallway. The group, including Sayako, followed him carefully as he stopped to examine the nearby hallway for any signs of the perpetrators before proceeding towards the stairs. Tooru took the steps two at a time as he waited for the rest of the group to catch up to him.

More gunfire could be heard piercing the eerie silence until, suddenly, the gunfire ceased and despite the noise coming from the sprinklers and ever spreading fire, nothing else could be heard. Tooru pondered this new development and decided that speed was not only desperately needed but essential to their survival.

"Alright, everyone we are going to have to sprint for the front door. If somebody falls you must leave them behind, for your own sake. There's no knowing where the killer is but I'm sure he is nearby. So, are you ready? On the count of 3."

The group readied themselves as the uncomfortable silence persisted, their friends nodding to one another in reassurance. "1, 2…3" Tooru motioned the numbers with his hand as further indication before he proceeded to sprint towards the exit ahead of the group at the sound of 3.

Sachiko sprinted past her father towards the nearby front door as the group followed closely behind. Nobody was left behind and nobody fell as they approached the door. They were going to make it; they were going to survive the massacre at the Ogasawara Mansion.

Sachiko's hand reached out towards the front door, twisting the door lock between her fingers as she opened the door in a hurried motion. However, before Sachiko could take another step through the door she froze in surprise and horror. A hooded figure was standing on the opposite side of the door halting their progress.

The group stood paralysed in horror as they watched the hooded figure remove the hood from over his head in a slow and intimidating manner.

Sachiko's eyes shot open as she took in the appearance of the unknown individual behind the door. The group gasping in shock and horror as they too were greeted by a most unexpected sight. Slowly, tears began to pour from Sachiko's eyes as she stood paralysed from such an unexpected and troubling sight.

"Y…y…" Sachiko muttered in surprise as realisation began to wash over her.

"Yumi!" Sachiko screamed as she gazed upon the face she had longed to see for 10 long and unbearable years.

"Yumi."

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Author's Notes: Forever Drifting Chapter 5 Part 1 is concluded; in the next chapter most of your answers will be revealed.

I'm going to keep this Author's Notes short and sweet. Please review etc and I will begin writing part 2 immediately. Not sure when I can post it but trust me you won't want to miss the next Chapter

I may improve this Part later as I still feel it is slightly incoherent and boring to read, so look out for an update on that but for now I can't figure it out so I'm posting with my gifted Beta Reader's consent.

By the way, HeavyTeaDrinker had been incredibly helpful in structuring and editing this story, so please if you like my story remember that she does a lot of the work behind the scenes and is an indispensable editor of my work.

I would also like to thank the following people for taking their time to review my last Chapter, much appreciated.

Spikesagitta - You will find out the circumstances surrounding Tsutako's death in the next part but I can't reveal any more than that.

Witchgar - Thank you for the continued support and congratulations for being the first person to realise the secret message within Tsutako's letter. I hope you enjoyed this Chapter as much as I enjoy ReHumanizing Sachiko

Chinensis' Fan - You weren't the only one who thought the numbers were co-ordinates to a map. And I'm happy to see that you are reading this story as you were one of my favourite reviewers during Love Will Tear Us Apart.

Teufelchen29 – You will find out events in Yumi's past etc in the second Part of this Chapter. Not all but most of the major stuff will be revealed. Thanks for the review and I hope to hear from you again.

Honulicious – Suguru will be involved eventually and you are correct he is the only missing member of the Cinderella play which will play a slight part in this tale. To be fair to Nana-chan, Sachiko kept Yumi's pictures in her room and nobody but Sachiko is permitted in her room :P

Eixirt – Good catch on the Valentine's date. It was indeed where they sat to have their first date together but it wasn't the secret message involved in the letter but very good catch. If the story continues then Yumi's physical strength and abilities will be explained, I already know how she got so powerful and all it would take is to write it out. Thanks very much for the review and I hope to read She Is My Master soon which was amazing.

Neslim – Well done, you figured out the secret message. It was indeed It's too late referring to what…who can say thanks once again for reviewing my work. And for being the first to review my work all the way to now, much appreciated :D

Guest – Haha I updated just like you requested, I hope you enjoy this new cliff-hanger because there is an even bigger one in the next part :D

Thanks one and all, please review and a Gokigenyou

:D


	6. Forever Drifting Chapter 5 Part 2

Maria Sama Ga Miteru

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Forever Drifting

By Miracles79

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Chapter 5

Part 2

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters they belong to the amazing Oyuki Konno who brought Maria Sama Ga Miteru into our lives.

I advise you DO NOT read this if you are under 16 as it is a very dark interpretation of Maria Sama Ga Miteru. Read at your own discretion.

**Author's Notes note**: So here it is the final chapter of Forever Drifting which reveals her startling past as well as answering the questions you have been asking for so long.

On the subject of ask, I would ask that when you finish reading this chapter that you read the Author's Notes for an update on this stories status **BUT NOT BEFORE**, the latter Author's Note reveals certain events in this chapter which will spoil your enjoyment of reading it. That is all; please enjoy Forever Drifting Chapter 5 Part 2.

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"...Yumi?"

"Yumi" Sachiko screamed as she took in the torn, grubby and battered appearance of her former Petite Soeur who was standing before her at the entrance to the Ogasawara Mansion.

The hooded jacket, which mirrored the dank darkness of the night sky overhead, was no longer of its original colour as fresh blood had been smeared over every bit of its fabric. Where the fabric had not been dirtied it had been torn, just like her skin tight jeans which revealed more leg than would normally be accepted in her household.

Yumi's dirty and blood stained face was the same as the rest of her skin but despite this, underneath the external appliances, it was clear to the group that Yumi looked not only frail but extremely pale, perhaps due to a lack of food, care or even shelter.

Yet, standing before her ocean filled eyes, at the foot of the Ogasawara Mansion, was the woman of her dreams, her former Petite Soeur, Fukuzawa Yumi. The woman who had been stolen from her, the future which could have been so much brighter was now within touching distance.

The sleepless nights had all been worth it and the silent prayers she dared to utter had been not only acknowledged but answered. Yumi was here within an arm's reach just waiting to be consoled, waiting to be cared for once again like she had been during her years at Lillian High School.

Without a second's hesitation, Sachiko rushed over towards Yumi in a hastening attempt to shorten the remaining distance between them. Despite Yumi's dishevelled and unpleasant appearance, Sachiko rushed forward uncaringly; longing to hold her Petite Soeur in her arms, to comfort and feel Yumi's heartbeat alongside hers, once again.

"Sachiko, stop" Tooru screamed in fear as he watched his only daughter approach the silent woman who continued to watch the scene unfold before her with a hint of misplaced curiosity.

Then suddenly, before Sachiko could take another step towards her Petite Soeur, Yumi swiftly withdrew a menacing looking cleaver from behind her back, coated in a sea of dark red blood which trailed off from its tip. In a fluid and almost undetectable motion, Yumi manipulated the cleaver within her finger tips before placing the tip of her weapon against Sachiko's belly, while making sure that she didn't penetrate the skin of her former Onee-Sama.

The group gasped not only at the traitorous act but at the speed of which Yumi had brought the weapon into play; if you had the misfortune to blink then you would have surely missed the entire thing.

"Yumi…?" Sachiko questioned in a confused tone as Yumi let the tip of her blade rest against the belly of her Onee-Sama, no emotion betraying her beautiful features.

For a while, Yumi stayed in that position lost in thought as she gazed at the cleaver within her hand and the tip that lay against her Onee-Sama's toned stomach. Then, with the tip of her cleaver, Yumi forced Sachiko further into the burning Mansion which collapsed around them.

The group watched in utter confusion as Yumi forced Sachiko, and therefore the rest of the group, to retreat further and further into the Mansion where smoke from the uncontrolled fire was beginning to engulf the remains of the once impressive and enviable Ogasawara Mansion.

Turning her back to the group momentarily, Yumi swung the front door closed with an incredible force before returning her attention to the startled group before her.

Yumi continued to stare at the group displaying no emotion whatsoever, this however scared the group that much more because to them Yumi was the adorable girl who couldn't hide her feelings as her blushing, and transparent, face would always reveal her inner thoughts and turmoil. But, it seemed, a sudden change had occurred within her fragile form and her transparency had become but a distant memory.

"Yumi, is that you?" Touko questioned in a low whisper as she looked at her own Onee-Sama with longing and affection laced into every uttered word that passed her lips.

Picking up on the faint voice, Yumi turned towards her Petite Soeur and the first hint of a smile could be seen at the corner of her mouth. "Touko-chan…?" Yumi whispered fondly, a mixture of disbelief and hope woven within her sweet voice. After whispering these words, Yumi took her time to carefully examine the extremely beautiful and refined Touko who had matured magnificently, beyond her most hopeful dreams.

Remembering Touko's question, Yumi's expression quickly soured as she admitted "I am Yumi no more, that innocent girl was killed long ago." Yumi, despite her inner turmoil, quickly regained her composure as the sour expression vanished from sight as if it were never there. Yumi returned her attention to Sachiko, who was still pressed up against the wall, a cleaver pressed against her gut.

"But Yumi, what are you…?" Yoshino was about to ask of Yumi's intention but was angrily interrupted by an outraged Fukuzawa Yumi who screamed "What am I doing? Don't you dare question me? This is none of your concern Yoshino-san, so stay out of it." Panting slightly from her outburst, Yumi removed the cleaver from Sachiko's stomach and walked towards Yoshino in an intimidating manner.

"You have caused me enough trouble already. Do not anger me further by questioning my methods…You should know by now that I am meticulous in my planning and thorough in my execution, Yoshino-san. So don't you dare question my motives."

Yoshino was taken aback by not only the bizarre statement within Yumi's words but also of their close proximity. A thing she had missed for many years but now the air between them was vicious, hostile and somewhat frightening, at least to the former Rosa Foetida of Lillian High.

"Yumi, what are you talking about? What methods? What did you do?" Yoshino asked perplexed by Yumi's unhinged statement.

Raising an eye brow, Yumi stalked closer to her former friend, the group watching, as Yumi breached Yoshino's personal space. Staring questioningly, Yumi shifted her focus from Yoshino's troubled face and into the eyes of the renowned detective looking for any signs of hidden dishonesty, uneasy silence creeping into the atmosphere as she did so.

It was shortly after this act when the uncomfortable silence was violently cut by a blood thirsty laugh emanating from the once kind and equally gentle girl known as Fukuzawa Yumi. Stepping back, Yumi smirked towards Yoshino with a confident smile before gazing fondly at her Cleaver, twisting it between her fingers as she replied calmly.

"You still haven't realised; the incident in Seika, the death of Takeshima Tsutako and even the deceased employees of this Mansion. They were all caused by my hand and my hand alone. Do you understand now, Yoshino-san?" Yumi glared into the horrified eyes of her former friend as the final pieces of the puzzle started to come together for the highly renowned detective.

Scoffing slightly Yumi continued "I'm the monster. The monster you have hunted for so many years. The single case you couldn't solve was the result of my influence and of my judgement."

Silencing the startled group, Yumi stared down the members of the group who attempted to confront her with unneeded questions and pointless reprisals; Yumi didn't care to answer her friends. What right did they have to ask her of anything; especially after all she had done for them in her previous life?

The demented look within Yumi's pupils was enough to instantly silence the shocked crowd. The mocha brown eyes of their friend still remained but now they appeared slightly different. A blood red swam beneath the pupils of her eye lids, coming into focus only when an unsettling moment presented itself.

Not to mention the unmistakeable slits on the edges of her pupils which brought this deranged and unsettling vision of Yumi into light. No matter how much they wanted it to remain untrue.

"You killed all those people. You killed Tsutako? Why? Why would you do such a thing? She was your friend." Shimako asked angrily as she approached the amused girl who had been her best friend for so many wonderful years.

"Tsutako had to die. You see it was her meddling that caused all of this to happen, so yes. I killed her and I did it without a second thought. I drove this blade through her body again and again and I made sure that she suffered before I slit her throat."

Yumi then thrust her cleaver in the direction of Shimako, the blade millimetres from piercing Shimako's beautiful blue pupils.

The group gasped in horror as Yumi stepped closer to Shimako the blade never leaving the millimetre distance between its point and Shimako's delicate eyes. Shimako's knees trembled at this unexpected turn of events as she watched, with evident fear, Yumi approach her ever so slowly. Yumi's eyes reflecting no other emotion but amusement as she continued to walk towards the former Rosa Gigantea.

"That's enough from you now. Go back to your wife or I will be the last thing you will ever see. Do you understand me?" Yumi whispered as she withdrew her cleaver and repositioned it behind her back not caring that any member of the group could snatch it away, if they had the guts.

However there was no risk involved in this act, Yumi already knew of her lightening quick reflexes and if any member of the group dared to take her prized weapon away from her then that brave soul would be left on the floor with their fore mentioned guts roped around their neck.

Shimako retreated from Yumi and quickly returned to Noriko who couldn't restrain herself as she hugged her lover possessively from behind. Remembering the paralysing fear that had overcome her when Yumi had thrust the cleaver in Shimako's direction, fearing that the worst was about to occur before her very eyes.

Meanwhile, Yumi examined the group carefully until her eyes rested on her intended target, positioned amongst the rabble of terrified woman who she had once had the audacity to call friends.

"Ahh, there you are. I told you I would return, didn't I? But you never believed me, did you…? Well here I am. Do you believe me now? Do you understand the pain I will inflict upon your life? Do you?" Yumi's amused tone gradually became more menacing, more hostile as she spoke to an unknown member of the group who remained motionless.

The group stared at one another wondering of who she was questioning or even referring to. Yumi wasn't looking at anyone in particular, in fact she was examining the damage she had inflicted upon the Ogasawara Mansion, a place which held many precious memories and moments for her, a place which had shaped her previous life.

Suddenly footsteps could be heard from within the closely knit group, as a figure stepped forward to confront a woman that had been wronged for 10 unbearably painful and traumatic years.

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"Yumi-chan please, I'm so sorry but… Please… I beg you, don't hurt my daughter." Tooru kneeled before Yumi in a gesture of surrender as tears fell from his eyes for unknown reasons, at least to the group whose confusion had continued to grow.

The once powerful and proud Ogasawara Tooru was begging, no not only begging but kneeling before Yumi displaying a gesture of inferiority as he pleaded for his daughter's safety. Yumi smirked at this sudden change of events and turn her attention from the crumbling mansion back towards the grovelling man.

After a brief look back towards her former Onee-Sama, the group watched in bewilderment as Yumi stepped away from Sachiko and walked towards the trembling man.

"Now you know how I felt…When I begged you to stop, when I pleaded with you to end my life. But did you ever listen? No, so neither will I." Yumi then turned her back on Tooru and walked towards Sachiko who was stuck dumbfounded by the exchange between her father and Petite Soeur.

"Yumi, please. I didn't want to…"

"DON'T LIE!" Yumi screamed, interrupting Tooru angrily as she paced in front of Sachiko, obviously troubled. Her hands wrapped around her head as she fought the painful memories and accompanying voices which threatened to consume her fragile mind once more.

"Papa, what's going on? What is Yumi talking about?" Sachiko asked in confusion as she watched Yumi straighten up clenching her fists, tightly, around the cleaver while tears threatened to pour out from her Petite Soeur's eyes. The first signs of weakness coming into full view for all to see, perhaps the girl they once knew was still in their somewhere beneath the troubled and protective exterior.

However, to the group's surprise, Yumi suddenly spun around and faced her Onee-Sama. Comprehending the words that had been uttered by Sachiko's slightly swollen and bloodied lips. Yumi couldn't restrain her bloody thirsty laugh as she tilted her head back and screamed in equal part hilarity and insanity which left the group fearful as they gazed upon the now demented woman who had once been the pinnacle of kindness and understanding.

"Wait, you didn't tell her? Ahahaha you're even more pathetic than I believed possible." Yumi rested the blade of her cleaver against her shoulder and inspected the man who grovelled, pleading at her feet.

"Yumi, please I'm begging you don't do anything to…" Tooru continued to plead with Yumi who completely ignored him; instead Yumi proceeded back towards Sachiko, her eyes never leaving Sachiko's light blue pair which mirrored the ocean on first reflection.

"That didn't work for my family. So what makes you think I'll spare yours?" Yumi replied while her eyes continued to bore into Sachiko's who was left breathless by the equally terrifying and beautiful sight.

"What do you mean that didn't work for your family, Yumi-san? What's going on? Please, tell us." Shimako bravely stepped forward ignoring Yumi's previous warning as well as her lover's desperate attempts to silence her. She walked away, once again, from the safety of the group and towards her friend, who she still held hope and love for.

Yumi in a quick, undetectable movement slid her stiletto from the sleeve of her shirt, sprinted towards Shimako before placing the blade against Shimako's neck forcing the latter to collide with the wall, pinning her in a life threatening predicament.

Noriko gasped in horror at this sudden change and was about to run to her lover's rescue when Yumi angrily uttered "You are not involved, so stay out of it. Or I will gut you where you stand. Believe me, I am serious Shimako-san."

Realising that she was fighting an unwinnable battle, Shimako retreated from Yumi slowly making sure she didn't startle the seemingly composed yet equally demented girl who wielded a cleaver in her hand. For Shimako to not only see her first real friend during Lillian High, but also in general, acting like this was becoming too much for her to bear.

Yumi turned back towards Tooru who was still kneeling on the floor begging for his daughter's life. She quickly looked up at Sayako and saw the confusion and shock clearly displayed on her features. She pondered this for a moment before speaking.

"You took my family away from me. So, I'm merely going to return the favour. However, it would be meaningless to kill you or your wife, Ogasawara Tooru. You have already lived good and fulfilling lives but your daughter, who you cherish above all else, is your one true weakness." Yumi stepped face to face with Sachiko as the former pressed the blade against Sachiko's vocal cord.

"You love your wife very much, don't you Tooru? A wife who could only deliver you one child, a child you have only ever wanted with one woman. That would be you, Sayako-sama. But what if that child of yours was ripped from your life? I doubt you could deal with the guilt." After pondering her words, Yumi removed her cleaver from Sachiko's throat and looked up into her Onee-Sama's gorgeous face.

Yumi examined Sachiko's natural beauty as her heart's beating quickened in response. Sachiko relaxed slightly, believing that the danger had passed until Yumi grabbed her forcibly, fingers digging into the sides of her neck, as Sachiko was propelled up the nearby wall, her feet dangling in the air as she struggled against the vice like grip.

"Yumi, please, stop!" Sayako screamed as she attempted to run towards the demented and crazed woman whose concentration was placed solely on the woman she held within her ever tightening hands. Tooru quickly grabbed his wife and stopped her from risking her own life for the sake of their daughter's.

Silently, Tooru hoped against hope that Yumi's relationship with Sachiko would be strong enough for Yumi to cease her actions. It was a slim chance but it was all he had left as he watched his daughter gasp for air and squirm within Yumi's grasp while the latter stared at the group with menace and amusement twinkling within her eye.

Begrudgingly, Yumi relinquished her hold on Sachiko's neck as the latter slid down the wall to lay crumpled at her feet. Sachiko's erratic breathing could be heard by the entire group who watched the scene unfold in bewilderment and horror.

"Please, take my life in exchange for hers, please." Tooru pleaded as fresh tears flowed down his cheeks at the sight of Sachiko's terrified and pained expression.

"I have no need for your life or that of your wife's. Like I have said before, Sachiko will die by my hand… But not before I make her suffer. Like how I suffered…" Yumi whispered the last part more to herself then the audience within her vicinity as the memories of her past forced their way back into her mind one by one.

"Sachiko will **die**, Sachiko's friends will **die**. Anyone who has ever associated themselves with Sachiko will **die.**" Yumi then turned towards the group of former Roses and stormed towards them her cleaver glinting amongst the fiery embers as she strolled towards the ever retreating group.

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Yumi, noticing her intended target, snatched Touko's trailing hand and forcibly dragged her away from the group who desperately attempted to keep the young actress by their side.

The group was left paralysed, however, by the ferocious, almost primal nature that was hidden within Yumi's mocha brown eyes. The group were left to watch in horror as Yumi dragged the terrified and struggling Touko towards the centre of the room.

"Onee-sama, please. What are you doing?" Touko screamed as she fought against Yumi's strong yet soft hands which held onto her collar, dragging her forcefully in full view of her nervously attentive audience.

Touko's terrified struggling ceased when she felt Yumi's hands relinquish their painful hold on her collar, which had previously dug into the side of her neck.

However, before Touko could react to this unnerving situation a pair of warm arms engulfed her midriff, bringing her even closer to her what seemed like a slim yet maturing body.

Touko squealed in surprise at this tender motion unsure whether it was really Yumi that had embraced her, almost possessively in fact, but before she could vocally question this situation she was halted by a faint whisper, sounding almost sullen in nature.

Yumi cautiously approached Touko's ear. Preparing to whisper the words she had longed to say to her Petite Soeur for so many years. "It's okay Touko-chan. I won't hurt you, I could never hurt you. I love you, Touko-chan. And I know you had nothing to do with this" Touko raised her head, nervously, in Yumi's direction as the latter tightened her grip around Touko's mid-riff, nuzzling her face deeper into the crook of her Petite Soeur's neck.

Sighing contently, Touko's rigid, almost frozen body, body began to thaw under the warmth spreading through her as she revelled in the intimacy between the pair. She felt Yumi's shoulders shudder slightly and on instinct Touko raised herself from her seated position and proceeded to wrap her arms tightly around her Onee-Sama as a wail of despair slipped past her quivering lips.

Feeling Touko's comforting response, Yumi held her possessively tighter as she clutched the fabric of Touko's expensive yet ruined outfit. No whimpers passed her lips and no tears penetrated her eyes but that didn't mean that Yumi felt anything less than completely overwhelmed by this incredible moment that she had hoped for, for so long.

"I wanted to see you again, so very badly. So please… Don't be scared of me." Yumi whispered as her fears began to fester in the pit of her stomach. Could Touko accept Yumi after all she had done? After she had killed in the name of petty revenge? These thoughts and more flooded into Yumi's fragile mind as she held her Petite Soeur tightly, fearing that she would leave the embrace at any second.

"Onee-Sa…" Touko's question was abruptly silenced when she felt Yumi's arms rise from her lower back to around her shoulders, circling around them as the former was brought into a tender hug full of longing and desperation. Yumi kissed Touko, repeatedly, on the forehead and cheek as she clung to her Petite Soeur ignoring the confused looks from Sachiko and the other former Roses.

"I'm so sorry for my absence. I missed you more than anyone else in this world. I should have been there for you." Yumi placed her hand against Touko's cheek, rubbing it affectionately as she continued. "But, I promise you, I will make up for lost time. No matter what you do I will always protect you from danger, even if that danger is myself."

Wanting to feel closer to her Petite Soeur, Yumi gently pulled Touko's head into the crook of her neck as the latter inhaled the intoxicating scent of her Onee-sama, a scent she had missed for far too long.

Yumi continued to stroke her Petite Soeur's brunette locks as she continued to whisper words of regret. "If you decide to help Sachiko and the others I will respect your decision. I don't mean to put you in a difficult position but I promise you this. No matter what decision you make I will not harm you in any way. Even if you aim to harm or even kill me. I will still refuse to raise a hand against you and that is a promise, Touko-chan."

Touko whimpered into her Onee-Sama's neck as she placed a tender yet sustained kiss on the nape of Yumi's neck while her hands caressed the mangled strands of brunette hair, not caring for its unkempt appearance.

Yumi purred slightly at the satisfying sensation and would have claimed her Petite Soeur's lips with her own, which she desperately wanted to, had it not been for the audience that surrounded them.

Noticing the sudden silence and confused glances from the group. Yumi glared in Sachiko's direction and honestly admitted "Touko is someone that I hold very dear to my heart… You on the other hand, mean nothing to me. Your family destroyed mine. They are dead because of you… There will be no happy ending to this Sachiko" Yumi pushed Touko away gently as she approached her former Onee-sama with hatred seething within her mocha brown eyes.

Taking a hold of Sachiko's collar, Yumi threw her effortlessly against a nearby bookshelf with as little force as she could muster as some unconscious part of her fought against her need to end Sachiko's life. It seemed a small flicker of love remained in the frozen bosom of Yumi's sealed off heart.

The force of Yumi's throw, however, was so great that Sachiko screamed in pain and agony as she collided against the already crumbling bookshelf. Confusion and desperation cloaking her senses, Sachiko attempted to figure out the reason behind Yumi's violent behaviour, towards her in particular.

'_Perhaps this is all a misunderstanding…?'_

'_I would never harm Yumi…'_

'_Please, understand Yumi, I had nothing to do with this…'_

'_I could never hurt the person I love.'_

"Yumi stop. Please, I'm sorry. I didn't…" Tooru continued to plead as he held his wife back from a woman who possessed a power he knew all too well.

"LIES!" Yumi shrieked as she grabbed Sachiko by the strands of her bluentte hair and pressed her up against the wall closest to them.

"Do you know what you put me through? What you forced me to do? They were my family and you…you" Yumi suddenly, and to her own surprise, started to cry silently. The tears flowing down her pale cheeks as a single whimper past her trembling lips, the group watched the horrified look on Yumi's face and despite all she had done, their hearts went out to the confused and troubled girl.

Yumi turned her face away from Sachiko, desperately trying to hide her moment of weakness from a person she deeply despised. Sachiko watched as the person she wanted to reach shook slightly, her grip loosening and her sobs becoming louder and louder amongst the roaring of the nearby fire.

"Yumi, I'm sorry. Whatever I did I'm sorry but please don't cry. Yumi I wanted to see you for so long. I never stopped looking for you, please believe me. If you feel I failed you then, please, take out your frustrations on me. I know I deserve it… But please, don't cry, Yumi" Sachiko continued to stroke the hair of the trembling girl before her as uncontrolled sobs wracked her petite body.

Leaving several seconds to attend to Yumi's discomfort, Sachiko prepared to say the words that she wanted to say to Yumi ever since she had been lost to her. "Yumi, I l-lo…" Sachiko attempted to cup her Petite Soeur's face when Yumi's fingers dug into the skin around her shoulders, drawing blood and cries of pain in the process.

Yumi however ignored her cries of pain and whispered angrily "How dare you…after all the pain you caused me, you try to guilt me into forgiving you. You acquired the prison that I was chained to. You instigated the mental and physical torture inflicted upon my mind and body. Stranding me helpless with nothing around me but the endless Pacific Ocean. Do you realise how hard it was for me to escape, to swim all the way back to Japan?"

Sachiko remained confused as Yumi spoke of things she didn't understand and of things she could never have instigated on a normal person let alone someone as precious to her as Yumi was. So, why was Yumi so definite in her belief that she had done such horrific things to someone she loved, perhaps even more than her family?

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Sachiko was deep in thought completely unaware that Yumi was staring at her, embarrassment and disgust washing over her as she looked eagerly at Sachiko's perfectly shaped lips which begged to be tasted and consumed by her own.

Yumi's arousal and secret burning love for the woman in front of her became too much for her to bear as she stretched on the balls of her toes, to claim the lips which belonged to the person she was supposed to hate above all else but in fact the person she desired more than anything.

Tentatively, Yumi positioned herself closer to her former Onee-sama who failed to acknowledge the desperate and fearful look in Yumi's eye. Leaning forward, she felt the unmistakeable sensation of Sachiko's breathe cascading against her moistened lips. Sachiko's breathe intermingling with her own before Yumi began to close the remaining distance between their parted and aching lips.

Sachiko's eyes opened in a flash as she felt something soft and irresistibly sweet press lightly against her slightly bruised and bloodied lips. Sachiko blinked several times when she felt her lips tingle from the brief yet stimulating kiss.

The brief, chaste, kiss was immediately followed by a slightly deeper kiss as Yumi's inexperience and hesitance became more and more endearing to the motionless Sachiko. Yumi finally took a courageous leap of faith as she pressed her lips firmly into Sachiko's as a sigh of satisfaction slipped from her parted lips, re-connecting when Yumi instigated another sweet kiss.

The moment Yumi's lips made full contact with Sachiko's, the former slowly pressed her body into Sachiko's in a more intimate manner as she attempted to claim the skin ship she had so desperately yearned for.

Yumi's taste flooded into Sachiko's mouth as the latter remained motionless, shell shocked that such a pleasurable thing, and feeling, was happening to her. That her deepest wish was becoming true despite its initial uncertainty.

The hesitant Yumi gradually became bolder and bolder as her eyes glazed over in need and lust for the woman that had been her Onee-Sama for 3 years. The kiss became more heated as Yumi moved her lips vigorously within, around and against Sachiko's still parted and unmoving lips.

Hungrily, Yumi moved her unattended hand towards the back of Sachiko's neck forcing Sachiko's lips to press closer into hers in an attempt to further deepen a one sided kiss which continued to intoxicate her senses, not realising that Sachiko hadn't reacted to her initial and unexpected advances.

Yumi's intoxication was evident in the fact that she had completely forgotten the attentive audience which stared in shock at her change in attitude towards a woman that she supposedly hated but was nevertheless hungrily kissing; her eyes shutting tightly, allowing the indescribable sensation to flood her senses.

Sachiko was shocked by this intimate action as the kiss began to intensify and without meaning to, or even thinking it, she eventually responded to Yumi's initial advances.

Sachiko stared, transfixed, by Yumi's now panting lips which had only recently detached themselves from her own. Arousal and hunger driving her, Sachiko grabbed Yumi's shoulders, forced her against the wall she had previously been pinned to and recaptured Yumi's lips, deeply missing the feeling of her Petite Soeur's lips rubbing against her own.

Yumi's eye shot open as she felt Sachiko hungrily taste her exhausted and extremely sensitive lips. But despite this, Yumi returned the act as she forced her lips further against her Onee-Sama's as she pressed, sucked, nibbled and thoroughly tasted the irresistible lips, not to mention the insides of Sachiko's gaping and moistened mouth.

Deepening the kiss, Sachiko circled her arms around her Petite Soeur's shoulders as she pressed her mouth against Yumi's in an almost feverish manner her legs quacking at the pleasurable intensity running through her body as she continued to taste the woman of her dreams.

Sachiko felt Yumi's blood drenched outfit pressing into her expensive and beautifully decorated nightgown which had become slightly revealing, mainly due to the amount of caressing and touching their bodies felt from the others adventurous hand. Despite this, Sachiko didn't dare protest fearing that the kiss would be broken for even a second, so she allowed the blood to be absorbed into the thin fabric of her nightgown as she continued moan within the irresistibly intense kiss.

In fact, Sachiko, losing herself to the intensity, pressed Yumi intimately closer to her own body as she moaned into the kiss which she had so desperately wanted. It was an unexpected kiss yet a kiss she wanted, perhaps even needed for over 10 years, ever since Yumi's disappearance.

It was at this point that Yumi was gradually getting hotter and hotter as she continued to find ways to deepen the kiss and taste the lips which she had become so addicted to.

Meanwhile, in the corner of her mind Yumi heard her subconscious screaming at her to stop, demanding that she gut Sachiko where she stood.

'_**What are you doing…?'**_

'_**Stop this now…'**_

'_**She's the reason your family was killed...'**_

'_**The reason you suffered for over 10 years…'**_

'_**WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?'**_

Ignoring her subconscious, Yumi was beginning to lose control as she swayed her body provocatively, teasing Sachiko as she pushed her Petite frame closer and closer to that of her Onee-sama's. Her primal nature becoming more apparent as the kiss intensified further and without meaning to do it, Yumi proceeded to bite down hard on Sachiko's lower lip.

Sachiko's overwhelming arousal for the woman before her was momentarily halted when she felt a sudden pain emanating from her lower lip as she felt Yumi bite down on it hard, drawing blood in the process.

Yumi, subconsciously berating herself for this painful act, quickly darted her tongue out and licked the cut she had made with the tip of her tongue, teasing Sachiko mercilessly before she brought the entire lip into her mouth. Yumi repeatedly sucked on and tasted the bloodied and battered lip causing Sachiko to moan in pleasure at the simple yet intoxicating feeling coursing through her system.

Before Sachiko could get used to this new throbbing sensation coming from her bruised lip, Yumi interrupted her thoughts when she tugged on the enclosed lip sending more pleasurable feelings down her spine and into a place she hadn't felt tingle or throb to this intensity ever before.

Eventually, Yumi released her hold on Sachiko's tender lip as she began to pant heavily; such was the intensity of the arousing kiss.

A sense of loss, shock and arousal flooded Sachiko as she attempted to recapture Yumi's lips with her own, deeply missing the sensation that had engulfed her senses and the same action that had caused her centre to throb like she had never felt before, amongst other sensations which she couldn't and wouldn't describe.

Yumi hastily halted her progress as she realised the significance of her damning mistake.

'_What was I thinking…?'_

'_Why did I do that…I-I-I…?'_

'_My first kiss with…with the woman who murdered my family…'_

'_It wasn't supposed to turn out like this…'_

'_I-I need to regroup…'_

'_To get out of here and away from Onee-S…'_

'_I mean Sachiko-Sama…'_

'_I need to leave before I do something truly irreversible.'_

Yumi, regaining her previously demented composure, leaned into Sachiko's ear and whispered slowly "We are finished. That was just for old times' sake, nothing more. Sachiko, I will make you pay for what you did to me. But not before I make you suffer the same pain that was inflicted upon me. You will die by my hand… There will be no happy ending to this Sachiko, none."

Stepping away from Sachiko, Yumi examined the remains of the destroyed Mansion with a huge yet undeniably beautiful smile on her face. "It seems like my work here is concluded, my message sent. Now I will take my leave. This will not be the last you see of me, all of you here will die by my hand. Obvious exceptions not included."

The group continued to stare at Yumi as she walked towards the door, pulling a knife out of the forehead of a nearby maid before throwing her casually through a nearby wall without even a single glance in its direction.

"Just know that this is all your fault. You all had a hand in creating me and I will make you suffer before I end your lives. I will be watching you and when the time is right I will take from you the things you desire most. Gokigenyou Youko-sama, Sei-sama, Eriko-sama, Rei-Sama, Yoshino-san, Shimako-san, Dearest Nana-chan and of course you, Ogasawara Sachiko."

Giggling to herself at the perplexed and terrified looks of her former friends, Yumi walked towards the front door and was about to leave when she suddenly turned in the direction of Sachiko, examining her shocked and tears stained features before snidely asking "What's wrong Cinderella?"

And with that Yumi disappeared into the encroaching darkness as the Ogasawara Mansion continued to burn into the night.

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Author Notes: Well, there we go. If you want a continuation please review and leave your feedback, if you have any questions or are unsure of anything, please, contact me and I will answer it on my profile page so that the majority of my readers can also see my answers, I will be happy to answer any questions you have.

By the way the Pacific Ocean reference earlier is very important and was mentioned in an earlier chapter. When you find it you will realise the significance of this specific ocean and how Yumi and Sachiko are connected with it.

There are also many other hints within my chapters that I left in an attempt to give you a greater understanding of the situation Yumi is faced with. But they may not be obvious at first look so make sure you scan my work for clues because I love to leave little hints and surprises which you may not have noticed in my previous chapters.

Most of you will have questions concerning Yumi's connection with Tooru but I'm afraid I am unable to answer that. So, please, don't ask me because I will have to decline your question.

I will leave you now and I hope you will review, provide feedback or ask me questions concerning my story as a single chapter or the story as a whole.

At the end of this month I will decide on the fate of Forever Drifting about whether it will be continued or dropped altogether. So look for an update on that last day.

Gokigenyou all, and I hope you leave an opinion on this piece. Otherwise it will not be continued.

I would like to thank the following people for taking their time to review my last Chapter, much appreciated.

Witchgar – Glad to hear you are enjoying this story I'm a big fan of your work so to hear your praise means a lot to me. I wonder if you guessed how this chapter would end. Would be interested to hear your opinion on the new direction of this story

Elliehandesu – I revealed a little bit of Yumi's past but not all, mainly due to uncertainty over this stories continuation but yes Yumi killed Tsutako and many others. If the story is continued I will be able to write down the thoughts I currently have in my head about Yumi's past and it's connections with the Ogasawara family.

Guest 1 – Chapter updated, please enjoy

Spikesagitta – You are correct in your assumption, Tooru increased the guards to protect his family fearing that Yumi would attack and attack she did. Yumi also killed Tsutako and many more including the guards and maids employed by the Ogasawara's.

Alexusraven- Thanks you very much for the compliment that was very kind. Think of this chapter as a late birthday present :P I hope you enjoy it.

Guest 2 – I have to prioritise my stories and work. Love Will Tear Us Apart will be finished no matter what but Forever Drifting was merely a half-baked idea with little direction and a simple end goal. However if the story continues then I will plan it thoroughly.

Eixirt - I will answer your 5 questions on my Profile page so I can go into greater detail concerning some of them. I like my stories to be full of emotion whether painful or joyous, if there is no emotion then I simply can't connect with it which is why I aim to make the readers feel the emotions the characters are feeling. (I write emotional things because of Clannad which opened my eyes to many wonderful things) btw I am so overjoyed to see the return of She's my Master, I absolutely love that story :D

Guest 3 – Chapter uploaded :D

Chinensis' Fan – I hope the questions were answered in this chapter although I only skimmed the surface so to speak. I hope you are enjoying this story and continue to offer your opinion just like in this story and Love Will Tear Us Apart. I'm very grateful that you take the time to review my work, thank you very much.

Vampangelus – Glad to hear your enthusiasm. I hope you also enjoyed this chapter which is full of a lot more exciting things I hope.

Hikaru28 – So what did you think of this bombshell :P I planned this entire chapter since the first chapter and it was just a question of how to arrive at it and how to eventually write it. Like I said in Guest 2's response I have to prioritise my stories and if it is popular enough then I will make it a fully-fledged story and not stop till it's finished. But for me to do that I have to know if it's worth it considering my work, personal life etc. Thank you for reviewing once again and for your feedback, I am very grateful


	7. Forever Drifting Chapter 6

Maria Sama Ga Miteru

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Forever Drifting

By Miracles79

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Chapter 6

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters they belong to the amazing Oyuki Konno who brought Maria Sama Ga Miteru into our lives.

I would like to thank my wonderful Beta-Reader, HeavyTeaDrinker, for continuing to look through and improve my work. She is, undoubtedly, the Miracle that makes Miracles79 and I cannot thank her enough for that.

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From this point on things will get increasingly dark and might unsettle readers. So I must advise you, if you are under 16, to stop reading from this point on as it is a very dark interpretation of Maria Sama Ga Miteru. You have been warned, Read at your own discretion.

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Silent footsteps quickened their pace through the pouring rain, the encroaching darkness effectively masking the figure's stealthy escape. Keeping out of sight, the figure continued onwards; scaling any and all obstacles in her path as she sprinted towards her intended target which could be seen far off in the distance. Regret, humiliation and pain propelling her forwards at an alarming rate.

It didn't take long before she finally reached her place of safety, and as usual not a single soul had witnessed her escape or her lightening quick movements; she didn't allow them to. In fact, no one ever saw this mysterious figure with their own eyes. They may have heard of her through gossip or perhaps compared her to something as ridiculous as an urban legend, but no one ever saw her of their own fruition. She would only ever reveal herself to the poor, unfortunate souls when she wanted to be found.

So then, why was this supposedly mysterious and impressive figure staggering towards an old, decrepit building? Whilst pain and anguish- which were clearly displayed on her worn down features- continued to torment her fragile and tortured mind. The woman tiredly pressed her forehead against the front door, sighing bitterly at the events that had befallen her.

Unsteadily, the mysterious figure known as Fukuzawa Yumi forced the door open with all her might, using the door as a form of support, she slithered into her decaying home. Her footsteps remained groggy however, perhaps the effects of her exhausting run or, which was more likely, the emotional train wreck which had just occurred moments before.

'_What have I done…?'_

'_I-I kissed her...'_

'_I just kissed the woman who murdered my family, willingly.'_

Yumi's horrified mind continued to process this rather alarming piece of news. Ever since her family was taken from her life, Yumi had thought of the Ogasawara family with nothing more than loathing and contempt. Yumi's former burning desire for their only daughter had been violently extinguished at that moment. Or so she thought.

The guilt was not all Yumi had to contend with, she also felt incredibly disorientated and this rather unpleasant feeling had been the catalyst for much more troubling side effects. Her hands were shaking, her body feeling drained and thoroughly exhausted by the experience but the worst feeling of all was her lack of control when it concerned her nearby surroundings. The walls seemed to elongate all around her, the floor beneath her swaying uncontrollably as if it had been the stage for an erratic roller-coaster ride. Yumi felt extremely woozy but most of all, for the first time since her escape, she felt pitiful.

Ignoring her surroundings Yumi attempted to proceed further within the confines of her home. The thought of a nice, maggot infested bed, solidifying her stance rather than sleep, at this moment in time, was far more than a necessity. But before she could make another exhausted step, she was abruptly, and unexpectedly, propelled off her feet. Yumi was sent flying high into the air and collided awkwardly against the collapsing bookshelf which crumbled under the pressure.

"W-What?" Yumi stammered in a painful gasp.

But before she could elaborate on her evident surprise and confusion, Yumi was once again launched across the room and sent crashing into the opposite wall which, despite its damp appearance, held firm and resulted in the unpleasant bruise beginning to appear around the sole occupant's eye.

There was, however, one noticeable difference between the two instances that had just occurred and, as Yumi attempted to process this startling realisation, a heavy and large object collided with her body. The understandable shock of such pain rippling through her body caused the young woman to cry out in a desperate scream.

"W-Wait, I'm sor…"

Without warning the heavy object, which appeared to be the bookshelf she had just fallen through, was thrown away from Yumi with such an incredibly force that it slammed through the opposite wall and continued on for several more yards. However, Yumi didn't have time to acknowledge this because she had been aggressively lifted into the air by her throat and forced against the wall.

"**How dare you…"**

It was the voice. The one and only notable difference between the two instances was that despite similarity between the throws, and the lack of a second presence within the house, Yumi had heard an aggravated scream accompany the second act. The cruel and dangerous voice could have only belonged to one person. After all, she had known the voice since her inception; you rarely ever forgot the sound of your own voice.

"P-please… I-I made… a mistake…" Yumi groaned, the pressure surrounding her throat tightening as she struggled to form not only words but gain the breath back into her lungs.

"**You betrayed me…"**

Before Yumi could dispute this outlandish claim, she was, once again, thrown with tremendous force, only this time she wasn't thrown away as such… it was more that she had been thrown upwards. The already decaying ceiling above stood little chance as its surface caved into Yumi's fragile form, an agonised yelp passing her lips at the sickening contact. Unfortunately for Yumi, there is a popular saying that states 'whatever comes up must come down' and this instance was no exception to that rule.

Before the sound of snapping bones could disperse, Yumi began to descend towards the ground once more. A muffled cry of pain emanating from Yumi's mouth as she was finally brought down to earth, with a disheartening sound of a collapsing ceiling reverberating around Yumi's vicinity. Realising the oncoming onslaught and her lack of preparation, Yumi hurriedly covered her head with her hands as the ceiling collapsed around and against her.

"W-wait, please… let me explain…" Yumi murmured, the excruciating pain rendering her speech to come out in lengthy gaps, not to mention the blood which coated the insides of her throat.

But the voice did not wait and it did not compromise. Without a hint or even a second of remorse Yumi was gripped by her ankle and hastily propelled upwards. The sight, if anyone could have seen it, would have appeared most peculiar because they would have seen a bloodied Yumi being, seemingly, held upside down by an invisible being who possessed a strength that no one on this earth could contend with.

However, before Yumi could be offered a momentary respite she was sent crashing through the last remaining wall within the tightly spaced room. Despite the shocking impact, Yumi's momentum didn't stop there as she tumbled into the next room, her formerly dishevelled appearance becoming even more battered, bloody and unsettling by the minute.

"**How dare you consort with the enemy…" **

The hideous and aggressive voice continued to verbally abuse Yumi as the latter was once again gripped by the throat and forced against the wall which she had previously been using as a mean of support. "I-I did no such thing…" Yumi gasped painfully, the grip around her throat constricting as five finger shaped holes ripped through Yumi's skin.

Yumi's terrified screams of agony were drowned out by the voice's robotic and questioning tone, **"Why do you continue to lie to me Yumi? I am always here… In your mind. And while I may be nothing more than a passenger, that does not mean I will allow you to treat our enemy as if you were their lover." **

"I-I made… a mistake. I lost sight for a moment, I succumbed to my weaknesses for just one moment but I assure you… it will be the last mistake I ever make. I'm sorry… so please… let me go…"

The voice didn't seem to hear Yumi's faint pleas for leniency and as a reminder of Yumi's life threatening situation the voice decided upon the opposite of Yumi's suggestion. Without further delay the freshly dug holes in Yumi's necks deepened further, a feeble cry of pain becoming nothing more than background noise to the voice as the blood began to pour out of the exposed flesh.

"**You are so weak and pitiful. You beg for forgiveness and make promises you know you can't keep. For months you talked of nothing but revenge but it seems that that was nothing more than a lie. You are infatuated by them, aren't you? I can see it in your eyes. You are filled with nothing but empty promises and are so weak that you would show compassion to the ones who murdered your family."**

"Stop this…" Yumi screamed, the voice's pressure around her throat lessening slightly due to intrigue rather than remorse, "… I will never forgive them for what they have done to me… to my family. It was a stupid mistake, I reacted on the instincts of my former self and kissed a woman I despise the most in this world. I promise you… I will make them all suffer. I will make their lives meaningless and destroy every last shred of humanity left in them, I…"

"**How can I trust you…"** the voice interrupted, the grip around Yumi's throat lessening to allow the young woman to retrieve her breath, **"How do I know that you won't make the same mistakes again? You have been entrusted with a great power Yumi… it is the first time I have ever handed this power down to a human, or been moved by such a story. Are you really strong enough to go through with this?" ** The voice asked unconvinced by the frail girl's insurmountable weaknesses.

"I am more than strong enough… I have waited 10 years for this moment, been made to suffer through an untold number of tortures and watched my family fall one by one. I am more than ready for this; in fact it is long overdue. There is no longer any form of compassion in my heart, I tasted what I had wanted long ago and it was like ash in my mouth…" Yumi stated coldly, her eyes and demeanour downcast despite the reassuring feeling of her feet returning to an even surface.

"**Are you truly ready for this Yumi? I have given you the means to extract your revenge but for you to truly succeed you must relinquish your morals, you perceptions of human morality and your preconceptions about what is fair in this world. For you to achieve solace and salvation Yumi, you must rid yourself of your humanity."**

Tense silence followed these words before the faint sounds of chirping birds could be heard amplifying the silent whispers which converged within Yumi's already fragile and abused mind. She knew that this decision, right now, would decide not only her future but the future of the people who had cruelly wronged her so many years ago, the same people who had once made the same decision concerning her family's existence.

'_They've taken so much from me…'_

'_**They took everything from you…'**_

'_They never showed any signs of remorse or fear for my safety…'_

'_**Once the deed was done they merely returned to their previous lives, not one thought was given to you…'**_

'_They were my friends, they were supposed to love me and care for me…'_

'_**Were they ever really your friends? Does a friend simply abandon the other when they are in need of help…?'**_

'… _And they thought I would just lie down and die, succumb to the horrors I was forced to witness against my will?'_

'_**They underestimated you, they believed you were weak and not worthy of their time. But you are stronger now and they have grown weaker. It is time, you are finally ready to seek vengeance on those which had wronged you and destroy their humanity by taking from them the things they value most.' **_

"I will make them pay, I will ground them into the dirt and violate the small strand of trust they had placed in me so long ago. I will make them squirm and watch them as I take what they hold most precious in this world, even more so than the life that they will beg me to take from them... and I will of course comply with their wishes when the time comes." Yumi snickered, the voice's hold on her disappearing completely but its corporeal form remaining despite its shortening life span, intrigued by the small girl who it had always considered both unfortunate and weak.

"**What are you planning Yumi? You talk of 'taking what they hold most precious' as if you already know what those are? What could be more precious to those monsters than the lives they currently possess?"**

To the voice's surprise Yumi merely smirked in its direction, a dangerous yet maddening glint shining from the former Lillian Graduate's eye. For the first time since its existence a cold shiver ran through its spine, and it paced back slightly from the sheer intensity of Yumi's maddening gaze.

"Everyone has something that they value over their own lives. You just have to find their pressure point and watched them squirm before they die. It could be a soul mate, family, a future, their sanity or even… something that they brought into the world and fought to keep alive," Yumi enjoyed the thought that her possibilities really were endless, every being whether human or not had their pressure points and the voice was no different.

"For instance," Yumi pondered, noticing a chair falling to the ground as if a being had clumsily walked into it by mistake ", your weakness is clearly visible. Ever since you came here and granted me my revenge you have only ever asked for one thing in return, the one thing that sustains your decaying life. All I would need to take from you…"

Yumi stopped for added effect, stepping closer towards where she was sure the corporeal form was standing. A cheeky grin spread across Yumi's face as she finally murmured the words it had expected and rightfully feared, "Are your apples… you could never resist the chance to consume an apple could you?" Yumi snickered, her jovial mood returning in place of her previously demonic expression.

"**Hmm, my kind never could, it is both a curse and a blessing." **The voice replied jokingly, the tension quickly defusing from the room despite the multitude of collapsed walls and the freshly bloodied appearance of the young woman standing before him.

The calm atmosphere did not last for long however, as the voice finally returned to a topic which had greatly concerned him perhaps even more so than the kiss Yumi had shared with Ogasawara Sachiko hours ago. **"What about Touko? Did you mean what you said, that you would spare her life? Yumi, you cannot allow that girl to live, she is no different than the rest of them. She is the reason your family is gone and you wish to offer…"**

Before the voice could continue his increasingly enraged demands Yumi abruptly stepped in, the demonic expression returning which was now matched by a threatening tone that even the voice was beginning to fear, "Touko-chan had nothing to do with what happened to me or my family, and if you dare to utter such a thing ever again I will shorten what little life you have remaining in that form of yours. She is innocent; Touko-chan would never harm me. If anything I was the one to harm her… don't you see? She was so alone. For 10 years I could do nothing for my petite soeur; I couldn't guide her into adulthood, care or love her as she rightfully deserves, I couldn't even see or hear her voice. After years of neglect, she deserves to find whatever form of happiness she can.

Yumi suddenly became silent, the regret and heartache concerning Touko taking route in the deepest recesses of her frozen heart, "She is my everything and if you attempt to harm her in any way then our allegiance is over. I will kill myself before you even have the chance to touch a hair on her head, remember what you said 'my life and your life are now inter-connected, one cannot live without the other' so Touko is out of bounds, to you not me… because I already have my own plans for her, years of torture often have a way restructuring one's priorities. Touko is not only my friend and petite sour but in time I will make her my lover because that is what we were always meant to be."

Unbeknown to Yumi, the thought of Touko becoming intimately passionate with her made the brunette's heart race with desire but foremost love. She honestly didn't know how much longer she could avoid her nagging desire to sneak into Touko's house and 'subtly' seduce her into bed. The intent had been there for a long time and her growing infatuation concerning Touko had progressed into dreams of happiness, a simple thing to some but to Yumi it was her last chance to erase the pain and loneliness from her heart. Only Touko's presence could guarantee such a thing and it was something she dearly longed for even in captivity.

"**Fine, Yumi. I believe that you are making a most fatal mistake but I will concede defeat for your sake, not hers. I promise to never harm her but that does not mean I'll protect her. Do you understand what I'm saying? She is your responsibility and you must protect her under the guise of your own power." **The voice reinforced his position again, it was not a giving soul and it disliked the attachment between Yumi and Touko but then again it knew that it would not live to see what would come of their relationship; it had saved Yumi's life at the cost of its own and was now on borrowed time.

"Thank you. She just means so much to me. I can't lose her, I won't lose her. I will protect Touko with all my being with the power you have given me. I won't fail her this time." Yumi stated sombrely, the fear that Touko's life could hang in the balance doing nothing more than to cast doubt on her plans, but even the love she felt for Touko was nothing compared to rage boiling in her veins at the people who had tortured both herself and her family, even going so far as to kill her own family in front of her tearful and traumatised eyes.

"**So my dear Yumi, where will you begin in your quest for vengeance? More importantly which of your former friends will you begin with?" ** The voice asked questioningly, its interest growing more intense by its own currently unanswered question.

Pondering this question Yumi began to pace the front room, carefully avoiding the debris that littered the broken glass table which had been overturned by the previously damp yet solid wall. She suddenly stopped mid-step, an ingenious yet horrendous idea crossing her mind which caused her to smile darkly at the mere possibility of such a thing.

"I will go after the most obvious of course. The one act which will make them all take notice; show them that I am most certainly serious… Oh yes, I'm practically drooling with anticipation." The demonic smile never left Yumi's face and the sickeningly sweet voice which accompanied it did nothing to lessen the demonic expression Yumi had perfected through her own experiences and insanity.

Taking interest in Yumi's sudden change of expression, and realising that she wanted to keep this particular thought to herself, the voice silently shifted through Yumi's mind, a difficult and dangerous task. After all, searching through one's mind was an incredibly tricky thing to do because while the thought may remain active, at the forefront of the individuals mind, it would often be in amongst a multitude of unconscious thought patterns. The things that cross our mind even though we did not actively search our brain waves for it, to find one voice in an ocean of thousands would be considered by most to be an impossible burden but this creature was not ordinary, not even amongst its kind, and it had acquired this power amongst many which were just as evasive.

"**Hehehe… Why Yumi, I never knew you had it in you…" **

As the voice looked back towards Yumi, expecting to see an equally grinning figure, it was annoyed to see the human's head bowed her eyes wide as she remembered things in her life that made it seem so worthwhile. The happy memories, her blossoming feelings for Sachiko, the friendships she had forged with Yoshino and Shimako… so long ago they had all seemed worthwhile and precious but now they were bitter reminders of their deceptions. Happy memories which were revealed to be far more disheartening then any unhappy memory she could vaguely recall.

"I never did have it in me… When I was young I was so carefree. I thought I had a world of happiness waiting for me… but things changed." Yumi finished abruptly, considering the conversation finished for not only this moment but forever. The voice, however, did not seem to take the hint or maybe it just didn't care enough to stop its excited rambling.

"**This is genius, Yumi. They could not ignore you then, could they? And only then would your friends realise who they're dealing with. When will you start, my dear Yumi?" **

Ignoring the voice Yumi walked through to the corridor and began to take the stairs one at a time, her body's emotional and physical fatigue coming back in full force. The voice persisted, however, and waited at the bottom of the stairs for an answer, knowing that Yumi would reveal everything whether through word or by thought.

"It will start in 3 days. In 3 days, Eriko-sama will be the first to lose what she treasures most. And I already know what that is, it's so simple yet so unforgiveable." Yumi stated sinisterly, as she turned to face the invisible being that waited patiently at the bottom of the stairs.

"**Will we need to consult our insider? I'm sure…"**

Without waiting for the voice's rambling, Yumi stepped in feeling both exhausted from fatigue and by the conversation it continued to bug her with. "No, I need to do this alone. It is too personal to allow others to do my dirty work, and I have no wish for my victory to be tainted by another's hand. Not to mention that our insider is very busy at the moment, don't you remember?"

"**So you will handle Eriko alone, I take it? There's no going back after you complete this deed, you will have declared war against not only the Ogasawara family but your friends as well. Are you ready for this?"**

Without even acknowledging the voice Yumi walked back up the stairs, her back turned from the intrigued creature that stood in wait looking for answers.

"You know what they say. An eye for an eye… and a family for a family…" and with that Yumi vanished from sight with only the voice's words following her as she close the door of her bedroom. The truth to the voice's words stung Yumi because she now knew how truthful they were, now that she was without one, and Eriko would also know what it felt like to lose the one thing that they both truly treasured.

"**Sometimes family is all we have left, when all is said and done."**

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It was late within Sachiko's home and the sole owner of the house had no more desire than to sleep off these spiralling emotions which wracked her mind and turned her thoughts from elation to downright terror. Sachiko had always dreamed of Yumi's return, which often involved being kissed by Yumi in much the way as they had earlier, but she never saw this coming. Yumi, her precious petite soeur, was accusing her of something which she would never have implemented against her worst enemy.

How could Yumi even suggest such a thing? She would never harm Yumi, never. She loved Yumi, even more now than ever because she was finally a tangible being that could be reached, touched, caressed and most importantly protected. But there was another revelation which pained Sachiko more than the baseless accusations and that was the one thing which had been proven correct by her own father.

The Ogasawara's head of company, Sachiko's own father, Ogasawara Tooru, had pleadingly admitted to not only herself but all of her friends that her own family had been behind the Fukuzawa family's disappearance, the mere implication that she was connected by blood to such a cruel and immoral man was enough to make her feel queasy and even go so far as to rescind the usage of her good Ogasawara name from now on.

How dare her father do this to the one she loves? How dare this disgusting vermin destroy a family which she had often considered far more approachable and kind then her own. She not only grieved for Yumi and the horrors that she must have witnessed but also for the people she had lost. Sachiko always thought of the Fukuzawa household as her extended and more intimate family, in fact a family that she hoped she could one day be a part of legally through the power of same sex marriage but that dream and the people who lived within them had been forever lost.

Before her thoughts could go any further Sachiko heard silent footsteps, followed by tearful and heart breaking whimpers, descending down the stairwell which was situated at the end of the hall. It was her mother; the knowledge that her husband had not only kidnapped but tortured such a sweet and beautiful little girl had broken her heart completely. She was heartbroken by such a betrayal, and by a man who she had always supported while maintaining the belief that he loved her but his betrayal spoke volumes because she firmly believed that she should have protected Yumi, or perhaps seen what her husband intended for someone she dearly loved. Sayako would even go so far as to consider Yumi a part of their family, the second daughter she was never able to conceive, that was who Yumi was to Sayako and the loss hit her harder than she cared to admit.

So there they were the two lone figures within the expansively lavish house which was owned and paid for by Ogasawara Sachiko. At the destruction of the Ogasawara Mansion, Sachiko had convinced her mother to live with her for as long as she needed; not only did Sayako need a house to live in or to stay away from a man as dangerous as her husband but because she needed her mother now more than ever. Sachiko was far from a weak woman and very little, if anything, unsettled her pristine form but the knowledge that Yumi despised her was not something she could handle on her own, she needed guidance which only a mother could offer.

Her father had desperately attempted to convince the pair that they all needed to stick together, as a family, and even went so far as to defend his actions against the Fukuzawa family without revealing the true reasons behind his horrendous acts. Whenever that topic was brought up Ogasawara Tooru would remain silent, head bowed and quickly change the topic no matter how persistent the group had been, most notably Touko, Sachiko, Sei and rather surprisingly Shimako who looked ready to tear him a new one.

Unsurprisingly Sachiko had angrily rejected Tooru's desperate and ill thought out pleas and had, in fact, demanded that he leave her sight immediately for his own good rather than her own. That was why only 2 members of the Ogasawara family now lived within Sachiko's mansion, and why the third had in a surprising news report been arrested for driving under the influence of narcotics, something which shocked Sachiko but which would not affect her as much as his betrayal.

So much had gone wrong. Her family was now in chaos, the love of her life had gone missing despite the increase number of police and guards, Matsudaira Touko's own personal guards, which had been deployed within their region. She desired nothing more than for Yumi to be back in her life; she needed treatment, protection and most of all time. All of these were essential and Sachiko knew it, she was even prepared to hide her own romantic feelings for Yumi and instead re-forge the friendship which had been so violently ended.

This was not the only problem she faced though, the reaction from her friends had not been completely unexpected but the ferocity in their words had cut her deeply. Some reacted aggressively, some reacted questioningly, others were tearful while the majority watched the commotion between their former friends with little interest; only Yumi was in their thoughts and no matter what happened from this moment on they would continue to help their beloved friend.

Sachiko remembered it clearly; Touko was clearly distraught and heartbroken by these sudden revelations and the close yet distant proximity of someone she loved, perhaps even more than in a friendly way. When Yumi left, Sachiko noticed the pleading eyes which followed her because they belonged to Touko, her cousin and the sole person who had been offered a reprieve from Yumi's vicious threats.

Then there was Sei who had attempted to inflict physical harm upon the man who had destroyed Yumi's life. Had it not been for Youko, Sachiko doubted any of them would have stopped her and they would have perhaps joined her, including Sachiko to some extent. But when Sei couldn't reach the old man she had quickly turned her anger towards Sachiko, hurling abuse after abuse at her despite Youko's desperate cries for her to stop and the continued struggle as Sei attempted to confront Sachiko face to face.

Sachiko also remembered the horrified look on Shimako's face and she didn't seem to notice Noriko's presence or the careful attention she was being shown by the one she loved. She was Yumi's best friend after all and she had been greatly hurt by the loss of her most considerate and lovable friends but after being threatened and having witnessed the insanity with her very own eyes, Shimako's perceptions of the world around her appeared to change and she had grown cold, going so far as to tackle Tooru to the ground and scream profanity after profanity at him.

It was a scene that hurt Sachiko deeply because, due to the group's momentarily uncaring demeanour, it was left solely to Noriko to not only diffuse the situation but be seen as the villain because of it. The once happy marriage had suddenly become unsalvageable; Shimako's hatred for Noriko at that moment had caused her to run away from the group and from her lover who watched on in fear as she too pursued her high school sweetheart.

There was also Yoshino who appeared lost for words attempting to collect all this new found information to memory. Rei was as supportive as ever but it wasn't met with the same enthusiasm as it would normally be met with. In that single moment, Yoshino had become distant with her lover under the explanation that Yumi needed her now more than Rei needed Yoshino, the great detective needed to make this her priority and had also left the group without a single goodbye. Rei watching on not in anger but in understanding, she would not take umbrage with Yoshino's discourteous manners because she was right, and while Yumi did need Yoshino now more than ever, it was also because Rei knew that Yoshino desperately wanted her best friend back in her life, the one person who had been missing in their life.

And then lastly there was Nana-chan who looked wide eyed, mouthing words which took no verbal form but looking at the group fearfully as if she knew something they didn't. The expression was causing some concern but no one, including Sachiko, seemed to realise the reason behind her shocked and panicked expression. The face of her saviour and first 'love at first sight' was none other than Fukuzawa Yumi, the demonic existence who had stolen her heart but crushed it all at the same time.

As Sachiko remembered the reactions of her mother, her eyes began to grow heavy and gradually sleep deprivation began to take a hold of her and it wasn't long before Sachiko succumbed to a sleep which was not deep or peaceful, and would in fact be the first of many dreams which would continue on an endless and mysterious cycle.

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It was growing cold, so very cold. Sachiko could feel her body shiver terribly from the sudden and unexpected dip in temperature. The air around her wasn't the only thing that was cold though, whatever surface she was currently lying on also felt painfully cold to the touch and yet sturdy enough to withstand any amount of punishment.

'_Wait...'_

'_When was my bed ever this frozen…?'_

'_And why would there be a temperature dip when the heating would automatically come on?'_

Something wasn't right. Sachiko felt very out of place, even without opening her eyes she already knew that she was somewhere else and rather terrifyingly that she did not belong here. So then why was she here? What was here? She could open her eyes but the fear of knowing made her prolong the need to remain oblivious but that could only last for so long.

Suddenly an ear pierce sound cut through the silence, Sachiko quickly pushing her hands towards her ears as her body began to flail around the floor without her consent. But gradually, the mysterious sound dimmed slightly whilst maintaining its surreal and almost hypnotic qualities. After several tantalizing seconds Sachiko finally managed to discern the nature of the sound and was correct in her assumption that it was the sound of a static TV flickering into life and burning out in a simultaneous pattern, its sounds heightened to a deafening pitch.

Finally finding a desperate need to figure out what was going on Sachiko opened her eyes and was startled by what she saw. She saw nothing. No it wasn't that she saw nothing it was that she saw darkness, nothing but pitch black darkness around her vicinity. As she began to move slightly, Sachiko suddenly realized that the freezing temperature and the darkening area around her was a result of the malformed mist which pulsated with strands of lightening breaking through its untangiable material.

She had little time to acclimatize to her situation before faint whispers began to increase in both frequency and intensity. Familiar voices mixed within a plethora of other equally familiar voices coaxing their way towards the sole dreamer, and regrettably its one and only dreamer.

"_Sachiko, stop…" _

"F-father…?'

"Yumi, is that you…?'

"Touko-chan… w-what…?"

"_Yumi, what methods? What are you talking about? What did you do…?'_

"Yoshino-chan, I don't understand. What's happ…"

_"You still haven't realised; the incident in Seika, the death of Takeshima Tsutako and even the deceased employees of this Mansion. They were all caused by my hand…'_

"Yumi, is that you Yumi…?'

_"You killed all those people. You killed Tsutako? Why? Why would you do such a thing? She was your friend…'_

"Shimako… wait I've…"

_"We are finished. That was just for old times' sake, nothing more. Sachiko, I will make you pay for what you did to me. But not before I make you suffer the same pain that was inflicted upon me. You will die by my hand… There will be no happy ending to this Sachiko, none…"_

"… I've heard this all before…"

_"Sachiko will __**die**__, Sachiko's friends will __**die**__. Anyone who has ever associated themselves with Sachiko will __**die.**__"_

Suddenly, as if the revelation has caused the voices to collapse upon each other, Sachiko was assaulted by a multitude of familiar voices speaking at exactly the same time. Some voices were loud and silenced the far softer and gentler voices and as they all converged within Sachiko's mind she began to grip her head between her hands, begging the voices to stop as the pounding in her head increased at an alarming and dangerous rate.

"Onee-sama…"

Then the voices suddenly ceased, silence returning to its prior domain as Sachiko wordlessly savoured the sound of the last, tender voice to leave her mind.

"Onee-sama…"

There it was again that voice speaking those wonderful words once again, but only this time the voice sounded crueller and far more venomous than the previous one.

"Onee-sama!"

Suddenly the voice was no longer emitting within her mind, it was being spoken directly behind her as if Yumi was actually…

"Yumi!"

But before she could prepare herself, Yumi was standing across from her looking as sweet and adorable as the pictures she had displayed in her bedroom. Rather peculiarly, Yumi was wearing their old Lillian Academy uniform, and in exactly the same fashion that she used to wear it all the way down to her perfectly tied sailor collar. She looked slightly older at a first glance but it was Yumi, the Yumi she had known all those years ago. The Yumi who had given her life a meaning the likes of which she had never dreamed of experiencing even in her wildest dreams.

"Yumi is it really you, Yumi?"

But despite Sachiko's concerned tone Yumi still remained silent, merely giving Sachiko a questioning stare as she began to tentatively approach the clad wearing Lillian student.

"Yumi?"

But before Sachiko could wipe the hopeful look off her face, Yumi's expression darkened dramatically a sinister and demonic smile spreading across her lips as blood began to trickle from her hairline, slipping down gradually before falling freely and in large amounts. Sachiko gasped in shock as before her eyes fresh cuts and bruises were spread across every visible sight of skin, her clothing being torn aggressively by an invisible hand as if she was being prepared for new and deeper scars, and Sachiko was unfortunately correct in her fearful assumption. Her stomach contorting as it was violently slashed and drenched by the blood which hid the real, visible, damage from view.

Yumi's face was now covered in blood, the nails of her hand being yanked out viciously and falling to the ground, her shoulder dislocating seemingly by itself, before Yumi fell to the floor as her legs were broken at the knee. But despite all of these horrendous acts; the deep scars, the battered and bruised appearance, the blood oozing out of Yumi's eyes and mouth… the scariest thing that Sachiko saw was the sickeningly pleased smile which was spread across her lips as if she was pleased with what Sachiko was seeing, as if she was pleased to see that she was suffering.

"Yumi, what's happening to you? What am I supposed to do…?"

But just as soon as Yumi had appeared she then abruptly vanished without a trace, the blood which previously pooled around her feet was now gone. Sachiko was confused, what was happening? What had she just seen? Did that horrifying image mean something and did that sickening smile belong to her Yumi or the imposter in its place.

"**Why do you act so offended, little girl? Did you not like what I showed you…?"**

A loud booming voice reverberated around the mist filled world; Sachiko hurriedly turned to locate the sound and perhaps, rather frighteningly, attach a face or at least a name to such a robotic and demented voice. But she was only met with silence, as well as no knowledge of who the voice belonged to.

"I don't understand…? Why have you shown me this? Why are you doing this?"

"**You never did understand the little people did you, Sachiko-chan? You are after all their superiors and betters. But do you know what you also are; you are the reason why Yumi's family is no more. You led them to their deaths; you even bought the chains that they were chained to and gave them the privacy and seclusion to torture those that you profess to love and care for." **

"I-I…" Sachiko stammered, saddened and haunted by yet another baseless accusation from someone who was to cowardly to show their face, "I never did such a thing. I bought the chains? What chains? I understand perfectly well what you are trying to imply but I know that I would never harm them. I will not believe these unjust accusations, I would never harm Yumi. I would never harm the one I lo…"

Sachiko quickly silenced herself before she could elaborate on her far too personal statement, but it was obvious that her mistake had been caught by the sinister voice. A mechanical laughter rang through Sachiko's nearby vicinity sending shivers through her bones by both its depth and its surprisingly unhinged quality.

"**You love her? Ahahaha, what a human thing to say. To think that you would knowingly torture the woman you love; you truly are heartless aren't you?"**

"I would never harm Yumi, and I would never knowingly put her in danger." Sachiko replied angrily, turning and looking around for a sign or a location of where this man or woman was.

"**You can continue to deny everything all you like in the real world, but down here it doesn't matter. Nobody will hear your confessions... So admit it, admit that you enjoyed watching Yumi beg for mercy, that you watched as Yumi begged her captors to hurt her family instead of her and that she lost her virginity against her will." **The voice replied, snidely mentioning things that never happened in the hopes that Sachiko would suffer under the knowledge that Yumi was a coward and thoroughly spoiled.

"You're lying… Do I look stupid to you? Yumi is far stronger than you realise, in fact, she is the strongest person I have ever known. She would never place her family in danger, no matter what the cost would be to her own life. She is honest and dependable to a fault, and as for your callous and feeble attempts to harm me, through a violation that did not happen… don't you dare say such a thing to my face ever again. I will fucking kill you when I find you." Sachiko stated venomously as she prowled the area for a sign of this revolting and unhinged voice.

"**Is that what you would have said to Yumi and her family? 'That you would fucking kill her?' You are pathetic and weak, I have grown tired of this game. If you do not believe me then how about I show you what happened to Yumi's family? How about I show you the destruction you have caused to the person you claim to love." **

And just like that the air around Sachiko became practically palpable, her anxiety becoming visually recognizable as she began to tremble from head to toe, her hands growing sweaty and clammy. This was the moment, the moment when Sachiko would find out the truth. About what happened to her family, to Yumi, everything would be revealed in this one unexpected moment.

But truthfully, Sachiko felt increasingly apprehensive. She did not know if she actually wanted to know what had happened to Yumi's family because she feared what she would see. Would she be able to recover if she saw Yumi's family being treated unfairly or would she be scarred for the rest of her life by the horror that awaited her?

Sachiko was undoubtedly terrified but at the same time she needed to know. She needed to know the extent of the damage and how, if, she could fix it. Most importantly of all, though she needed to know what Yumi knew because without full understanding Sachiko might cause more harm than good, and perhaps cause more pain for Yumi then she could possibly handle.

She was ready, Sachiko needed to be ready not for her own sake but for that of her petite soeur's; the confused young girl needed her Onee-sama now more than ever. She couldn't abandon her now, Sachiko often talked about going to any lengths to protect Yumi and if she was not prepared to do so now, then her words would have been nothing more than that; words. Sachiko would protect Yumi with all her being and put her words into action without a moment's hesitation.

And with a new resolve placed within Sachiko, the mist around her began to slowly dissipate. At first, it simply began to swirl around her in a quickening motion, the lightening sounding sharper and angrier than ever before. But, gradually, a passage between the mist began to form and spread out in front of her, imploring her forward without any other alternatives. Without even a second thought, Sachiko marched forward with a purpose, unaware that the mist was following her and caging her to the one solitary path.

It didn't take long before Sachiko observed the end of the passage, a foreboding yet two sided door awaited her which seemed incredibly out of place, even for this world. The door looked incredibly old and bits of vine clung to its aged surface, mould and the like staining its once pristine appearance which had withered with both age and neglect.

Experimentally, Sachiko touched its withered surface and was rather startled when a green ooze began to trail from her fingers at the faint contact. Sachiko shook her hand hurriedly before a familiar feeling of unease began to creep into her as she looked back at the door's handle which was already down turned. It would only take one small push to open this door that was all.

"I'm ready. You're ready for this, Sachiko…"

And with those last words of encouragement Sachiko pushed the door open gently, its hinges groaning at its former lack of use being interrupted. For all of Sachiko's words and all of her fears; nothing could have prepared Sachiko for the sight she witnessed through the now opened door.

* * *

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The location was familiar. Sachiko knew that, she had seen places such as these from stories and even within modern life but at the same time it was like nothing she had ever seen. Its appearance was nothing more than utterly debilitating; mice scattered across the moulded floor in drowns, moss (and other forms of fungi) and vines spreading to all areas of the room while a small window hinted at the prospect of sunlight within the darkened and rusted cage it was situated in.

The smell within this obviously run down and ill looked after prison was putrid and thoroughly foul, to the senses whether visually or by scent, and it made Sachiko retch as she entered. Hastily, her hands moved to the nearby wall for support as her throat began to burn but she quickly withdrew her hand at the moulded and oozing contact that interacted with the flesh of her palm. She retreated, stepping on the overgrowing moss which seemed to make ungodly sounds as she stepped on them, the feel of its surface evident even through her far from worn heels.

But as she stumbled back- in understandable terror- Sachiko's ankle made contact with something which felt less like moss and yet far from anything as solid or sturdy as a wall. The sound it also made was sickeningly repugnant and was immediately accompanied by another small sound; a sound of metal ringing through the prison as if it was making contact with something of its own making.

For some reason Sachiko feared whatever was behind her. She remained rooted to the spot, too scared to move or acknowledge whatever had made that chilling contact with her ankle. The room had left Sachiko utterly horrified and would have been more than enough to scar her for life but she knew something far worse waited for her, if she turned her head right now she knew her world would be undone. It was a peculiar and strange thought, but that did not seem to make the thought less true to Sachiko.

The tension became too much for Sachiko to bear and so, after several calming breaths, Sachiko anxiously turned to face the obstruction which lay at her feet. Without warning Sachiko stumbled back from the gruesome sight, a fearful and terrified cry leaving her lips as she collapsed against the moss covered ground which no longer seemed to register in her mind as she merely stared, eyes wide in horror, at the sight which would change her life. Sachiko's face began to contort into unashamed grief; fresh tears trickled down her cheeks as she wailed in pain and anguish.

Sitting before Sachiko where 3 motionless figures. Their hands awkwardly chained against the rusted cell of their cage, seated beside one another so that they could witness each other's own grief and pain, their heads lulled as if in defeat or admission. 3 decaying corpses which had withered and been seemingly digested by smaller insect like creatures, which still crawled over and through them as their identities became less and less identifiable.

The smallest and youngest figure was displayed to the left of the other two. The figure resembled that of a young teenage man and if it had not been for the Hanadera school emblem pressed into his torn and decomposing uniform Sachiko would not have guessed that this withered corpse was a man at all. The figure's stomach had been ruptured, the insects seeing this as a welcomed invitation despite the notable lack of intestines which should have coated his lap, but none were present.

To this figure's right sat an older man, his body decomposing at a slower rate than the other two. His chin rested against her collar bone, his hands spread upwards as they hanged from the chain's which wrapped around his wrists. The position looked extremely discomforting and far more painful than any man should have to bear. Within the man's lap lay a pair of broken, disused glasses which had already been submerged by a torrent of rat's which clung to the figure's flesh with a ravenous appetite.

Then there was the poor unfortunate woman, cuts and cruel bruises appeared all over her body. Her clothing was ripped and her body open to the inspection of less than considerate vermin which intruded upon the woman's misfortune.

The sight horrified Sachiko because she finally realised who the woman was; it was Fukuzawa Miki. The mother of the woman that Sachiko had grown to love, and the woman who had been beaten unreservedly and yet with no signs of foul play, as if their captor's had no interest in the body of a mature young woman.

Suddenly Sachiko began to realise.

'_If that's Miki…?'_

'_Then that means that he…'_

Sachiko hurriedly turned to look at the man who had been tortured, evidenced by his missing toe and finger nails, not to mention the broken bones that remained positioned awkwardly, and punished to a further extent than his own wife or son.

'…_He must be Fukuzawa __Yuuichirou…'_

And as Sachiko turned to the youngest of the 3, comprehension finally dawned on her pained features, as Sachiko's tears began to fall once more. "Yuuki-kun…" Sachiko whimpered, looking at the boy who had always seemed so considerate and kind, Yumi's caring brother who always looked out for his sister.

This was all too much for Sachiko and before she could turn away and run from such a traumatising sight, a loud metal clang resounded throughout the vast prison.

The sound of the metal object echoed through the tense atmosphere with an almost deafeningly horrific revolution, as the object continued its descent to the ground. But before Sachiko could comprehend the seriousness of this moment a feeble yet pained, hopeless cry emanated from where the metal object had sounded moments before.

To her surprise, Sachiko quickly followed the noise leaving Yumi's family to their undignified end as she searched for the location of the continuous and heart-breaking cries which echoed throughout this desolate prison. After several tense moments the tearful whimpers were suddenly nearby, not only nearby but being voiced behind her, and as Sachiko turned she saw a sight which she had feared more than that of Yumi's decomposing family.

It was Yumi.

But while most sights of Yumi would raise Sachiko's most damning spirits, this one would do nothing more than to plague her mind because she was not alone, and the sight horrified due to its possible implications.

Surrounding Yumi were the bodies of a dozen armour clad men, their bodies seemingly ripped open by some wild and untamed animal. Blood and guts poured out in waves and soaked the floor beneath them in a sea of sickening red, their faces disfigured and their internals keenly displayed to whoever viewed such a gruesome and horrendous sight. It had been a massacre.

And while this sight was admittedly horrifying, the sight of Yumi was far more traumatising.

To Sachiko horror, Yumi was completely naked. Blood splattered across her face, hair and every visible plain of skin despite the notable lack of cuts and bruises. In fact, Yumi looked immaculate. Despite the blood sticking to her body, she looked evidently revitalized, her hair no longer unkempt but sleek and clean, and her skin appeared to be glowing with a radiance Sachiko had always associated with her petite soeur.

But this heart-warming image was immediately forgotten by the sight of what Yumi had done, and was still doing. Yumi's hand, knowingly or unknowingly, it was hard to discern from Yumi's pained expression, was gripping a knife tightly within her palm; her knuckles going white under the intense pressure. The knife she held had been plunged into the eye cavity of a hideously obese man, without a flicker of remorse crossing Yumi's face as she cried at the knowledge of what had happened to her family.

"Yumi…" Sachiko cried out in pain, desperate to reach her precious petite soeur who looked utterly devastated. But before Sachiko could personally console Yumi, her heart breaking for the woman she loved, the image of Yumi and the surrounding scenery around her disappeared. To be replaced with the familiar sight of the darkening mist engulfing her vision, the occasional burst of lightening ripping through the thinly created veil.

Sachiko tried to move through the mist but couldn't, instead she remained stationary. Then when Sachiko looked down, towards where her feet should have been, she saw only the mist. Where had her body gone? Why could she feel and look but not move?

Her mortal form was gone replaced by a corporeal form which couldn't move and could only hear and feel emotions which tormented her mind.

"No please, NO!"

It was Yumi's voice, a pained and desperate voice which echoed throughout this vast vacuum of space. Sachiko tried to form words, desperation cloaking her mind as Yumi's screams increased in anguish and intensity, but no sound left her lips.

She couldn't move and now she had lost the ability to speech, Sachiko desperately attempted to scream… feeble desperate cries begging Yumi's tormentor's to stop, for Yumi to tell her where she was… for someone to save Yumi in her place.

"Please, don't… Don't!"

Whether you would consider this fortunate or unfortunate, Sachiko suddenly realised that she could not see anything a part from the mist. Yumi was being tortured, perhaps even assaulted but she could only hear Yumi's desperate voice. Sachiko had no visual recognition of what was happening to Yumi and this thought both reassured her but also increased the multitude of horrifying possibilities of what could be happening to Yumi.

Sachiko couldn't do anything. She attempted to scream, to move but she was unable to. Yumi would have to suffer through this punishment alone; in the knowledge that her Onee-sama was incapable of aiding her, merely placed to hear her petite soeur's cries of anguish without any comprehension concerning what was actually happening.

"AHHHH! Please stop, please…. STOP!"

The subtle but very real clink of machinery intermingled with Yumi's screams, as well as the sound of ripping flesh rebounding across the empty void where Sachiko currently remained, held as nothing more than a helpless prisoner to the torture Yumi was undergoing.

These sounds were followed by a sharp and deafening slap, which rang through Sachiko's tortured mind and left her feeling weak and helpless. A flurry of machine like voices reverberated within Sachiko's mind, as Yumi's screams of pain persisted in excruciating detail… it would never stop, Yumi would suffer for the rest of her known life. While Sachiko and her friends did nothing more than to place themselves within a cage of ignorance, allowing Yumi to suffer for 10 long years without any hope of rescue.

Why did Sachiko give up on Yumi? Why didn't she continue the search when others had turned away? Returning to their lives, and ignoring the missing person who belonged there.

As Sachiko contemplated these hurtful and inaccurate thoughts, the sounds of Yumi's screams faded away into nothing and in its place a figure appeared. A figure who wore a torn and dishevelled rag of clothing, dirt and dried blood clinging to any visible piece of skin which had been presented by the torn clothing, her hair unkempt and unruly as if she had not showered or maintained her appearance for days. Without even looking Sachiko knew who it was. It was Fukuzawa Yumi, but not as she knew her. It was the other one, the monster who had been created, by what means Sachiko did not know.

"Onee-sama, what did you see?"

Sachiko quickly raised her eyes as the sweet voice, a voice she had never expected to hear ever again, called out to her. As their eyes connected, Sachiko finally saw the truth, Yumi's eyes showing nothing but compassion and care as she tentatively approached Sachiko with a questioning expression. This was her Yumi, despite the external appliances and beaten appearance this was most certainly her Yumi. From the caring and beautiful voice, to the concerned expression that crossed her features at Sachiko's own worry. She was finally here.

Calmly Yumi placed her hand against her Onee-sama's cheek, the latter leaning into the touch and holding in place as she drank in this moment she had deeply desired since Yumi's disappearance. Yumi never pulled back and merely smiled in relief, stroking Sachiko's cheek with her fingers as the latter pressed it against her lips with a caring kiss.

Without further preamble Yumi hurriedly held Sachiko within her arms, the latter welcoming the sudden intrusion as they held each other impossibly close to one another. Both desired this feeling to never leave them and as Sachiko pressed further kisses against Yumi's cheeks, Yumi purposely leaned in and wrapped her arms around Sachiko's neck, resting her head into the nape of her Onee-sama's neck and occasionally placing desperate kisses into the space she currently rested in.

Suddenly remembering Yumi's question within the pleasurable silence, Sachiko spoke; "I'm sorry Yumi b-but I don't understand? What happened to you and…What's going on? Why am I here?"

"I needed you to see. I needed you to know what happened to me, you're the only one I trust with this knowledge. Even though you only received a slither of what happened…" Yumi stated pointedly, realising how little she had actually shared with Sachiko, "I only felt comfortable showing you certain things, I didn't want you to see the rest. No human being should have to go through what I was put through."

Sachiko was shocked by this unsettling knowledge. How could all of those memories she had just been shown been… comfortable? What could have been worse than what she had seen, through Yumi's own eyes?

"Yumi, what happened to you? I need to know everything you can't carry this burden alone. Look at you Yumi," Sachiko stepped back slightly, viewing Yumi's tattered and battered appearance in concern before her petite soeur cried out and returned Sachiko into a hug she had never felt for 10 years, her body trembling from the enjoyable sensations.

", you look so tired Yumi. I can see the pain and remorse in your eyes; as clearly as the damage which has been beaten into your body. I want to help you Yumi. Please, let me help you."

Yumi remained silent for several moments, hugging Sachiko to her body and desperately craving the warm contact which she had surely missed since the day she was taken from Sachiko's life. Eventually, remembering why she was here and what needed to be said, Yumi stiffened up and answered Sachiko's question.

"I'm the last remaining piece of humanity within Yumi's body. I'm the one who became your petite soeur and experienced such a wonderful life with you, promised that we would be together no matter where our futures lied. I'm all that's left of Fukzawa Yumi and in time I too will disappear…" before Yumi could continue, a terrified Sachiko attempted to interfere after hearing her petite soeur's last utterance but was hastily silenced by Yumi who placed her hand over her Onee-sama's mouth.

"Onee-sama, please… I'm running out of time, I won't exist for much longer and I have to warn you about what is to come before I die."

Sachiko became emotionally and physically cold by these words while Yumi silently returned her head to the crook of Sachiko's neck, stroking her Onee-sama's cheek tenderly as she began to grow heavy and weak. Shallow breaths passed Yumi's lips, the colour draining from her face as she could no longer stand up under her own power. Sachiko held Yumi in place,refusing to allow Yumi to slump to the ground and at this act a relieved and peaceful smile spread across Yumi's lips.

"My body might still exist in the real world. It might talk and even move like me but it is not me, Onee-sama. That thing is a being who possess far too much anger to be saved. I watched that monster kill so many people, torture so many poor souls some who didn't even know who I was. I've killed too many innocents Sachiko. Which is why I beg of you, please, kill me Onee-sama… end my life by your hand, and your hand alone. You need to be set free from me; you need to move on with your life…"

And as Yumi said this she finally slumped to the ground, Sachiko collapsing under the pressure of such a little girl as she carefully manoeuvred her petite soeur to the ground. Yumi's eyes following Sachiko's as her body began to grow cold and numb; feeling escaping from her body as the world around began to dissolve slowly.

"Please Yumi, no. You're stronger than this… you didn't kill those people, you can still be saved." Sachiko tearfully pleaded; Yumi's fluttering eyelids bringing more tears as the woman she had loved for so long was being extinguished from her life, and in front of her very eyes.

"Whether it was through my body or not, I did kill those people… But the thing that hurts the most is that I honestly don't know why." Yumi's forlorn and hurt voice stated, tears trickling down her cheekbones as she pondered on when her life had become so wrong.

"I have no memory of killing anyone, only the bodies and the blood which soaked my skin… I don't even remember what happened on the day I was supposed to die. I remember nothing, not a single damn thing." Yumi cried out, a sudden flicker of life ebbing from her eyes before it began to drift away once again.

"Onee-sama," Yumi stated desperately, clawing for Sachiko hand which she quickly took with her own "Keep your friends and family close, and promise me that you will protect them and never let them go."

Sachiko smiled proudly at her petite soeur; Yumi's desire to think of and protect her friends at the expense of herself was something Sachiko had always expected. Even in her last moments Yumi was still thinking of her friends.

"I will Yumi, I promise." Sachiko stated sadly, holding Yumi's hand to her face and kissing it gently.

At the contact Yumi smiled, a smile so beautiful it could have knocked the breath out of Sachiko if it weren't for the pain engulfing her heart, as she began to feel Yumi's grip lessen ever so slightly.

"I love you Onee-sama. C-can I ask one thing before… before I die, please?" Yumi stated hopefully, Sachiko nodding as her throat had closed from the grief that threatened to pour out. Yumi needed Sachiko to be strong and her Onee-sama knew it, she would not send Yumi off with tears and desperate pleas. She would do whatever Yumi needed her to do.

"C-could you please… kiss me one more time. Not on the hand or the cheek but… please, kiss me on my lips, Onee-sama. Let me kiss the woman I love before it's too late." Yumi asked faintly, her body slacking in Sachiko's arms as her eyes began to close without her approval.

Without even a second thought, or time to enjoy the feeling of her love being reciprocated, Sachiko leant down and pressed her lips to Yumi who raised a trembling arm to hold her in place. They kissed one another smoothly and very slowly, enjoying the caresses their lips offered one another without ever deepening it. This wasn't about need or desire; this was about saying goodbye to the one you love and cherishing a kiss which held more meaning than any other before it.

Yumi was very weak, her kisses became feather light and her breathe came out in shallow gasps as she felt the life draining out of her. She continued to kiss Sachiko however, the kiss was wonderful and it would be her first and last ever intimate contact. She was glad it happened with Sachiko though; she was the only person she ever wanted to share such a thing with but not under these unfair circumstances.

Suddenly, a loud and sharp sounding scrapping noise began to reverberate around the pair who kissed tentatively; Yumi stiffened without warning and abruptly broke the kiss with her eyes wide and fearful. It was coming, it had finally found her. A mechanical roar of anger ruptured the tense atmosphere as more sharp sounds rang across the empty void, as if a beast of unspeakable power was tearing through obstacles to reach the pair.

"Sachiko, run… you need to get out of here…" Yumi screamed, hurriedly pushing her Onee-sama away from her. Sachiko promptly stumbled under the force of the push as the sounds became louder and louder, closer and closer. It was coming for Yumi and her alone, Sachiko could sense it.

"Yumi, I won't leave you…" Sachiko cried as she attempted to return to her petite soeur side not caring that her life could very well end by this monster's hand, a monster that had created Yumi and yet destroyed her utterly and completely.

But before Sachiko could reach Yumi, the young brunette was snatched from her grasp. Her petite soeur, with a pained and saddened look in her eye, was aggressively propelled through the mist by a mysterious force a strangled cry passing her lips as she disappeared from view, her hopes of saying goodbye to her Onee-sama and dying within her arms forever extinguished, as was her life.

Sachiko stood there in horror, the empty space were Yumi had been becoming the focus of her attention as she walked unsteadily towards it as she realized a horrifying truth, Yumi was gone.

She never had a chance to say goodbye to her own petite soeur. She didn't have a chance to tell Yumi that she had loved her since the very first time they had met. She didn't have the chance to hold Yumi in her arms and give her the comfort and reassurance that she would be okay. She was supposed to be Yumi's protector, to send her to the afterlife under her watchful and caring gaze but she was gone. Yumi was gone.

Silence filled the air where Sachiko stood, where her tears no longer fell as the pain had manifested into something that her body could not respond to. Before she could digest all that had happened; a sudden, booming voice echoed throughout the darkening mist as the lightening suddenly criss-crossed one another narrowly missing Sachiko who remained painfully oblivious.

"**COMING DOWN!"**

Then without warning, the mist surrounding Sachiko's feet began to slowly dissipate around her without her knowledge… and then, before she could react to the troubling situation or even notice it, Sachiko was falling; through the previously solid surface and into the cold darkness.

Slowly a burning bright light began to press into her back and as she turned to meet it, while falling in revolutions, her eye settled upon its source. A silent unbelieving yet horrified gasp slipped from her lips as she saw the large ominous object far off in the distance, as she plummeted towards it at an ever increasing speed.

It was the Earth but not the Earth as you would know it. The familiar yet distant planet had been terribly scorched by what must have been the heat of the sun, to reveal nothing more but ash and molten. Sachiko was terrified by what she was seeing, she couldn't comprehend what was happening and with good reason. Why was the Earth scorched and lifeless? Why was she even here? And how did she even get here to begin with?

Reaching speeds never seen before by man, Sachiko finally broke the atmosphere of the earth and continued to hurtle towards it with no signs of stopping any time soon. Black and lung bursting smoke, and the heat of the fire roaring below, met her entry as she continued her descent; fear engulfing her body as the skin on her arms began to roast under the increasing heat which surrounded her being.

She was going to die. Could she even die in this place?

She would know soon enough because she was only second away from crashing into the Earth.

As she continued to fall a demonic piercing voice cut through Sachiko's fearful contemplation. The voice eerily familiar as the voice which had replaced the one she used to cherish but now loathed for its cruelty. In a maddening and insane voice, Yumi screamed at the top of her lungs from where Sachiko could not say, but from the small doubt of a figure standing underneath her impact zone she had a fairly good idea.

**"TAKE ME INTO YOUR HEART. ACCEPT ME AS YOUR SAVIOUR. NAIL ME TO THE FUCKING CROSS AND LET ME BE REBORN!"**

"YUMI!" Sachiko screamed in fear

The last thing Sachiko saw in this scorched and cruel world was the sight of Yumi's ever approaching face coming towards her at an alarming speed not because Yumi was moving so fast towards her but because Sachiko had been falling towards the Earth's very core.

The last horrifying sight she would ever remember however would be Yumi's face inches away from her own as she desperately implored Yumi to move. Sachiko silent pleas were only met by a devilish smile before darkness engulfed Sachiko's mind and she felt nothing.

* * *

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Author's Notes:

It is great to be back :D It's been a very long time since I posted a story in the Maria Sama archives but I'm glad to be back where I started writing stories, and I'll be here for a long time I can assure you of that (Awaits less than lukewarm response)

Well I hope you enjoyed this really long chapter, you will not believe it but this chapter was supposed to be 6,000 words but in the end more and more ideas came to mind and I couldn't stop writing. Many changes have occurred from my initial plan and it all fits perfectly now so I am very happy indeed.

(I have to admit I was thinking of splitting this into two separate parts but in the end i decided to just publish the entire thing as it is because I really do owe you guys alot.)

This chapter, and its length, are also my way of apologizing for such a lengthy and unfair delay. I promise you this story, and Empty Places, will be my top priority alongside my work etc etc

So now on to the story, I have revealed quite a bit already haven't I :P But there is still a lot more that I am holding very close to my chest and there are a ton of surprises and twists which many people will not see coming. I'm very excited about this story and look forward to hearing people's opinions on it; I'm not expecting a maldytah following, or even an Empty Places one, but I would still be interested in hearing people's opinions. Especially since the story is so dark and unusual for a Maria Sama Fic.

I also wonder if anyone has realised who the **voice** is yet? I left a massive clue which only a few will be able to pick up on and it's not who the voice belongs to per say but what these creature are known as. If you know who it is please inform me because I would be interested to know who figured out the monster that gave Yumi her power.

By the way I would advise all my readers to listen to "Saya No Uta- Sin" at your earliest leisure because this entire story was planned while I listened to this song for inspiration. Saya No Uta is one of my favourite and most terrifying reads and it was truly an amazing experience, the music complimented the story immensely and without it I doubt many situations would have come across as well. So definitely listen to the song because it is mysterious, creepy and everything that you will find in Forever Drifting.

While Love Will Tear Us Apart is over, that does not mean I will stop posting stories within the Maria Sama archive and I look forward to hearing from anyone who would like to offer their impressions of this story and their helpful insight.

By the way I am currently rethinking Endless Affection, I'll have more info in my next update but I will most likely change the ending of EA and make it a prolonged story instead. So no kissing between Yumi and Sachiko but instead Yumi will be shown Endless amounts of Affection from the students with the mostly likely love candidates being Sachiko, Shimako, Touko, Yoshino and many more. More will be explained in my next update which won't be for a little while due to prior engagement.

All the best my dear readers and I will return soon

Miracles79 Signing out…..


	8. Forever Drifting Chapter 7

Maria Sama Ga Miteru

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Forever Drifting

By Miracles79

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Chapter 7

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters they belong to the amazing Oyuki Konno who brought Maria Sama Ga Miteru into our lives.

I would like to thank my wonderful Beta-Reader, HeavyTeaDrinker, for continuing to look through and improve my work. She is, undoubtedly, the Miracle that makes Miracles79 and I cannot thank her enough for that.

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From this point on things will get increasingly dark and might unsettle readers. So I must advise you, if you are under 16, to stop reading from this point on as it is a very dark interpretation of Maria Sama Ga Miteru. You have been warned, Read at your own discretion.

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Within the spanning darkness, and the cold midnight air, several figures stood outside Sachiko's privately owned mansion. Many shuffling persistently from the cold, while others bid their goodbye's to their more than generous hosts.

It had been a nice quite evening for the former members of the Yamayurikai. An evening where the former Roses could sit back and dwell on happier times, rather than things which either appeared life threatening or regrettably discomforting. A day where any mention of Fukuzawa Yumi was strictly prohibited, unanimously so…

Once such person, who had spoken nothing of Yumi's sudden re-appearance, was Torii Eriko, who waited impatiently for the remaining group to disperse… her fingers tracing over the dials of her mobile phone.

'**No Messages…'**

Refocusing her attention to the approaching group, Eriko quickly slipped her phone into her handbag and walked beside her closest friends, Sei-san and Youko-san, who were leading the group out of the Mansion.

"God, when did it get this dark?" Eriko asked rhetorically, rubbing her hands together in unison.

Despite the question being rhetorical Sei-sama appeared to decide otherwise, "Hm? Well it is autumn, so you shouldn't be that surprised." Sei replied.

"I know that Sei… but it never used to be this cold. It feels unnatural somehow."

"Don't be ridiculous Eriko-san. It's just a little colder than usual, there's nothing unnatural about that." Youko quipped, brushing several strands of her hair around her ear as she spoke.

"I suppose," Eriko answered undecided.

As the group reached the gates of the heavily guarded Mansion they offered each other their final farewells and left in far smaller groups, Eriko was not among them.

"Are you sure you don't want a lift? It would honestly be no trouble." Youko asked, knowing full well of the inevitable refusal she was about to receive.

"Come on Eriko… Don't you want to surprise your little angel?" Sei reiterated playfully, pulling cute faces as she swung her arms around… the imitation of a mother caring for its baby.

"Sei… stop it." Youko chided, Eriko and Sei laughing at the expected reaction.

"I'll be fine, honestly. It's just a 10 minute walk and you live in the opposite direction, so go. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that Eriko walked away from her friends and towards a future she could never have expected…

… To a sight she would never forgive.

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As Eriko walked the chill in the air began to intensify by the second. In response, the former Rose wrapped her scarf around her neck tighter… fighting off the impending cold she was likely to receive from this unusual weather. It was strange to say the least, and it had been something that Eriko was giving a lot of thought. Why was it becoming dark so early? Not to mention the sudden chill which accompanied it?

But Eriko had far more important things to ponder, the first and foremost being… Fukuzawa Yumi.

Fukuzawa Yumi, someone she considered a reliable and trust-worthy friend. They may not have talked much but when they did, Eriko knew there was something about this girl that made her unique… maybe even special. The perfect foil to Sachiko's aloof personality, the perfect combination of beauty and stupidity all wrapped up into one adorable figure.

… But that Yumi was gone now.

She had killed people. But not only people but friends; Takeshima Tsutako, the previously nicknamed "Camera-chan" who had been so desperate to contact them, had been slaughtered… her body displayed as a warning or perhaps even a psychological blow to their psyche. The killer… Fukuzawa Yumi, the impossible but irrefutable truth.

Why did she do this…?

Fukuzawa Yumi the sweet and utterly caring brunette had turned into an unhinged monster, who spoke of things which could never be.

She spoke of deceptions, of friends turning on her for reasons which remained unclear. What reasons, or proof for that matter, would make Yumi believe that they, her friends and loved ones, would betray her trust…?

What had happened to Yumi during her disappearance…?

Why did she resemble nothing of the woman she remembered but still have the appearance of the teenage Yumi?

She hadn't aged one bit but something far more sinister had changed… her compassion, it no longer existed. Replaced with nothing more than cruelty and an insatiable hunger for revenge that wasn't there in the first place, at least to Eriko's knowledge.

The whole group had been affected by these strange turn of events. And while she could not care for the entire group, she could care for the people who truly mattered to her; her petite soeurs, Rei-chan and Yoshino-chan. The star crossed lovers who had cemented their relationship in a sea of jealousy and outspoken profanity… but that was a story for another time.

Right now, as the oldest member of their family, Eriko needed to protect them and be there for them when she was needed. It was her duty after all. She had chosen Rei and ignored the crowd of clamouring students because she thought it would present an interesting situation. Eriko could easily admit that in her youth she was attracted to oddity and uniqueness, and that boredom was her greatest displeasure. Which was why at first, Rei was nothing more than an interesting specimen… given her unique appearance and athletic prowess.

But that was only what she thought initially. After a time, she had grown accustomed to Rei's presence and had even found that she cared a great deal for Yoshino's well-being as well. She had begun to feel an almost motherly sense of importance. One she had only recently realised due to the birth of her own baby, a baby who had been named after someone very special.

However, things had not gone to plan for Eriko. Rei and Yoshino were no longer together as a loving couple. They parted mutually with the understanding that Yoshino needed to find Yumi and avoid any distractions, Rei-chan being her biggest one, but that was not the only understanding that went unspoken… it was that when this drama came to an end, Yoshino and Rei would become an item again.

From someone else's perspective, the situation between Rei and Yoshino would have been perculiar but not to Eriko. She had known them both long enough to understand their actions, and the reasons behind it. This was all about Yumi, the missing person in their lives. Rei had always known of Yoshino's greatest regret, the reason why she became a detective despite having no interest in the profession. Even after all these years, Yoshino still wanted to find Yumi…

Yes, Yoshino wanted to find Yumi that was obvious…

But what would she do once she found Yumi…?

Would Yoshino protect and shelter Yumi or would she do what she had always done to the worst kinds of criminals… bring her to justice?

Was this about closure and friendship or was the damage irreversible?

So many questions, at least there was one thing Eriko could admit… she was no longer bored.

…

As her mind continued to wonder, Eriko suddenly remembered her previous purpose and quickly reached into her hand bag. Pulling out the recently bought mobile phone, Eriko thumbed to the messages section…

'**No messages…'**

"This is getting ridiculous…" Eriko mumbled, hurriedly pressing the first speed dial option.

Eriko watched the screen pointedly, the word **'husband' **glaring back at her as she waited…

"**The person you are calling is not available…"**

With a grunt of frustration, Eriko ignored the unavailable message and tried again… with the same level of success as the first time.

'_What the hell is going on…?'_

'_He's never been this late to reply.'_

With added frustration Eriko forced the phone into her handbag, her eyebrows creased and her temper mounting. After all, how else would a mother react when they can't check on their own child? When their husband has probably fallen asleep and forgotten to check his messages, again!

How was a mother supposed to react…?

Eriko had been trying to reach her husband for over an hour now, but despite the length of time she waited… she had received not a single reply. One thing was for certain, her husband was going to get a piece of her mind about this most recent incident.

'_And he said he would be on top of everything…'_

'_I bet he hasn't even made dinner yet…'_

'_Thank god I love him because if I didn't I would skin him alive…'_

As she finally reached the corner of her road, Eriko speed up slightly. The need to get home and see her family, see that they're alright, becoming more and more stringent. She never even noticed when her walk turned into a jog but she did not mind either way, and she eventually reached the front garden of her house.

Taking no time to scan the area, Eriko's hand reached for the front gate before all movement was suddenly halted in its tracks; her eyes growing wide as she instinctively inspected the house she had lived in for 4 years.

The front door of Eriko's house had been knocked completely off its hinges and was now lying several feet within the house. "W-what…?" Eriko mumbled approaching cautiously. There was nothing but absolute silence within her vicinity, no sounds of birds chirping from up high or of any commotion further within her home… just the eerie silence and a house which lay in ruins.

Many unwelcome sights greeted Eriko's field of vision as she nervously scanned her home; not a single window survived this unexpected onslaught, the sharp shards of glass collecting outside the windows instead of inside as one would expect, curtains ripped to pieces for reasons which made little sense… at least for now.

'_I need to call the police…'_

Just as Eriko was about to reach for her mobile phone when she suddenly felt a strange substance cling to her shoes, soaking her socks in the process. It was pressing against the sole of her feet right now and the eerie substance painted her pristine white shoes into an uncomfortably familiar colour she had never truly grown accustomed to… it was blood.

'_B-blood…?'_

'_But then whose…?'_

'… _no!'_

Flinching at the sudden yet painful implication, Eriko's eyes lifted to see a trail of blood coaxing its way into her home. Forgetting all previous thoughts, and her need to contact the police, Eriko dropped her belongings and sprinted towards the foot of the entrance. She would have continued on had it not been for the strange and repugnant smell emanating from somewhere within in her house.

Coughing as she pulled a tissue from her pocket, Eriko tried to see further into the room despite the stinging pain it brought. The house was in a state of complete disarray. Broken windows, torn up furniture lay strewn around in places they should not have been… and blood coated almost every surface she could find. It was a terrifying sight, but what scared her more was that Eriko knew and had come to the assumption, regrettably, that this was all done very recently.

As for the awful smell…?

Eriko had not yet found its source but whatever it was, it would not be agreeable to the sight, judging by the sickening smell which numbed her nostrils.

With the handkerchief carefully placed against her nose Eriko walked in further; stepping on broken glass from the torn window frames nearby as she made her way to the living room where a faint light fazed in and out. Pushing the door open, Eriko was greeted by a most overwhelming sight… a sea of blood clinging to all sides of the neatly packed room and the destruction that was left in its wake.

But that was not all she saw. As Eriko approached closer towards the light which flickered in and out, she noticed the bloody pattern on the wall looping and criss-crossing… almost as if it had been purposely smeared by whoever had caused all this mayhem. After fixing the light, Eriko stepped back several paces and took in the message which had been conveyed.

'**This could have been avoided… ****Eriko-sama…'**

"Y-Yumi…?" Eriko mumbled in confusion.

It couldn't have been. Did Yumi do all of this? She was the most likely perpetrator that's for sure but Eriko still couldn't bring herself to believe it. Never in her wildest dreams had she dreamed of such a scene but as it started to become impossibly real, Eriko suddenly remembered her husband and their child. Where were they?

Stumbling in her haste to leave, Eriko sprinted out of the living room her voice carrying as she screamed for both her husband and her child. No response was forthcoming. It was only when Eriko was about to climb the steps that she noticed the door frame resting in the hallway. Stopping as she noticed another bloody message presented on its canvas, Eriko approached.

'**This house could have been a home…'**

"Yumi!" Eriko screamed; her voice no longer caring but angry and shrill.

Storming up the steps, Eriko suddenly came to an abrupt halt as she heard a familiar yet strange tune playing in the distance. The sounds were reminiscent of a musical box but, more importantly, the sounds of her baby's musical cot which could only be reached by an adult. Was Yumi still in the house…? Or was it her husband…?

As Eriko steadied herself taking one step at a time, whilst a hand was placed against her racing heart, she finally acknowledged the bloody handprints smeared along the handrail and the nearby walls, as if someone had been dragged up the stairs against their will. The trail continued before it took on the shape of more words, a message intended to cut painfully deep just like the previous ones.

'**Did you miss me? Did you even look for me?' **

What was Yumi talking about…?

'_Of course I missed you, Yumi…'_

'_I… We looked everywhere for you…'_

'_But you were nowhere to be found…'_

As Eriko walked further up the stairs, she began to notice the unmistakeable scuff marks on the corner of the steps, the bloody handprints and patches of blood lessening in volume. It was almost as if…

'_No, he's fine…'_

'_Everything's alright…'_

Eriko attempted to reassure herself of this but at this point even she didn't believe it. Something terrible had happened here, the only question was whether her family was okay. From the amount of blood she had seen littered across her house, something told her to expect the worst but she wouldn't. This was her family after all; they had to be alright, they needed to be safe and unharmed…

During this entire sequence, one thought had repeated in Eriko's mind again and again. The thought of finding her child. The little angel she had fought for and brought into her life, a life which she had previously been content to spend with only her husband and friends. That had all changed the moment her own child squeezed her finger, the moment her baby cried, the moment her baby looked her in the eye, eyes she had only ever seen in a mirror suddenly alive and belonging to someone else.

Her child was the one thing, in this world, that Eriko had promised to protect with her life. And she would see that promise through whatever the cost.

'_I need to find my baby…'_

'_I need to find her and keep her safe…'_

'_Please baby, be alright…'_

Despite her desperate need to reach her family, Eriko stopped for a moment in an attempt to calm herself. Her limbs shook and her breathing became harder to come by but, eventually, she forced herself forward and around the corner of the landing.

The sight was not unexpected of course but it still caused an unrestrained gasp to slip past Eriko's lips as she surveyed the damage; the two bookshelves had been turned over, a small trail of blood soaking the carpet as it vanished behind the door to the…

Eriko's eyes suddenly opened wide, tears threatening to pierce her eye lids as she looked at the door covered with blood. Another message displayed in blood but these words hit home harder than any of the previous ones, not only because of the message itself but because of the door it was smeared on… the door to the baby's room.

'**All lives end, all hearts are broken…'**

"N-No!" Eriko cried. The silence which had permeated the environment suddenly ending as the child's cot continued to play its eerie yet familiar tune in the background. The song felt completely out of place especially within this horrific, and soon to be overwhelming, scene.

Sprinting past the bookshelves and over turned tables, making enough noise to alert the entire neighbourhood let alone the individual who waited in the baby's room, Eriko proceeded towards the door. Her mind going a mile a second as it enforced terrifyingly unwelcome thoughts which she could not consider, would not consider.

'_This isn't happening…'_

'_Oh god, please tell me this isn't happening…'_

Reaching the front door, and ignoring the message which mocked and probed her weak spot, Eriko took one last long intake of breath and gently pushed the door open…

It was as the door swung open that Eriko was suddenly overcome with both grief and a scream that could be heard from miles around, a desperate thing which spoke of only one thing to people who had been unfortunate enough to hear it. Loss.

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Within the neatly packed and pristine room lay Professor Yamanobe; lying broken, battered and lifeless at the perpetrators feet. But that was not the only reason why Eriko had screamed, she also screamed because of what the perpetrator held tightly against her chest. Eriko's own child was being held by none other than Yumi; a sinister and proud smile on show as she watched Eriko's grief as plain as day.

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"What have you done?" Eriko whispered in remorse.

Before Eriko had time to register the painful implications, her feet began to move closer to her husband on their own accord. A husband whose facial features had been utterly mutilated and disfigured beyond repair. The blood that had led Eriko all the way to this very room was that of her husband. Crouching towards her deceased lover, Eriko checked his pulse in vain and whimpered as the truth was confirmed; he was dead.

Weeping as Eriko held her husband's head against her chin, Yumi giggled playfully. An exclamation of childish adoration laced within her laughter as she watched Eriko hold her husband's deceased body closer to her own, despite the mutilated appearance which would have made even a war veteran sick to their stomach. Some people could overcome anything when it came to the one's they loved, Yumi decided as she watched the private scene with great interest.

Professor Yamanobe's face had been disfigured to a repulsive extent, his right elbow twisted into an impossible yet painful angle, the bone sticking out of place against the cut which had materialized whether by a knife or by the force of the dislocation. His shirt, vest and blazer had been ripped off to reveal the hideous slashes which had been absorbed through his back, the worst possible sight Eriko could have possibly imagined had been multiplied by Yumi's dysfunctional and deranged mind.

In reply to Eriko's question, Yumi continued to play a truly repulsive game with the baby, one which Eriko had not yet seen despite the fact that her husband could evidently no longer see. During this little time, she spoke evenly to Eriko, rather than a remorseful tone Yumi maintained her joyous demeanour.

"What needed to be done, my dear Eriko-sama." Yumi stated playfully, the baby catching the offending item in her small hand during Yumi's moment of indiscretion. Noticing this Yumi laughed while Eriko's eyes shifted up to acknowledge whatever was happening above her.

As Eriko looked up, her face contorting in rage, she suddenly noticed the blood which stained Yumi's finger nails and uniform. It wasn't hard to guess what Yumi had done. But more troubling than that was the now answered question of where her husband's eyes had gone. Eriko's own eyes opened terrifyingly wide as she watched Yumi playfully dangle familiar eye balls in front of the baby before pulling them back as soon as she tried to reach out for them.

A sickening sight to say the very least…

And a sight which Eriko couldn't stand to see anymore.

"Get away from my daughter!" Eriko screamed racing towards Yumi with violence the foremost in her mind. A sudden desperate need compelled her forwards, a need to separate her most precious person from the monster who had murdered the baby's own father. But as she approached Yumi, with only a mere fingertip between them, she was unexpectedly taken down to the ground from behind, her hands bound by the hooded assailant in a forceful manner.

But how was this possible…?

Yumi was still sitting on the window sill pulling childish and amusing faces to the baby which rested in her arms. How…?

She wasn't even looking in Eriko's direction as her hands were tightly bound by this newest assailant.

So then, who was tying her feet and forcing her further against the ground…?

It was unmistakeably a woman, that much she could tell from the breasts which pressed into her back, and the feminine scent which accompanied this hooded figure, but the question remained who this person was and why was she doing this.

Straightening as she sprang off the window sill, Yumi placed a delicate kiss against the baby's forehead. Purposely maintaining eye contact with Eriko as she did this, the latter grimacing at the overly affectionate act which had been displayed for her eyes only. Meanwhile, Yumi walked towards the now bound Eriko but rather than acknowledge her presence, she simply stepped over the former Rose. A foot placed against the back of Eriko's neck firmly as she spoke to a person who was out of her line of vision.

"You can leave now, thank you for your assistance."

What was going on…?

Who had just tied her hands together and who was Yumi even talking to?

Eriko couldn't move. Yumi's foot was still digging into the back of her neck. All attempts at viewing the perpetrator were no longer possible thanks to Yumi's interference but as Eriko began to fear for her life, and that of the baby's, something equally unexpected happened.

Without a single warning Yumi grabbed the hooded collaborator with one hand, the other holding the baby against her body for support, and effortlessly threw the cloaked figure across the other side of the room, the assailant's body colliding against the opposite wall with enough force that it left a faint indentation. On her descent, however, she was sent crashing through the cot. Strangely, the music box like theme continued to emanate from the cot but in a strange and slightly deranged manner.

Striding towards the shaken figure, Yumi spoke frantically "You idiot, do not speak…" Yumi screamed as she closed the distance and grabbed the hooded figure's face and held it closer to her own, adding in a small whisper "Eriko-sama would recognize your voice without a second's notice; I can't let my most important spy be found out this early in the game… do you understand?"

Eriko couldn't hear a single thing but her attention increased as she saw Yumi place the baby beside the crib, Eriko's eyes immediately lifting to her now unattended child who lay at least two paces away. If only she could entangle these tight binds…

The hooded figure in question watched Yumi carefully place the baby to her side, and as Yumi's beautiful mocha brown eyes returned to her own she began to nod her head vigorously. She hated to disappoint Yumi, it was the last thing she ever wanted to do. But as she was about to whisper her response, Yumi pressed her body against her collaborator and pressed her lips with a feverish intensity…

Yumi had always been an intense lover for this hooded figure…

That was why she had fallen for her in the first place but it was in moments like these that she truly embraced the moments she could share with Yumi….

Yumi was an animal and incredibly thorough in everything she did, sex just happened to be one of these many things…

As Yumi's hands began to wander all over the hooded figure's body, effectively pressing the hooded stranger's body firmly against her own, the unidentified collaborator mewled in satisfaction. Yumi's fingers slipping beneath her panties as her teeth busied themselves with the other woman's lower lip.

Pulling back unexpectedly, the hooded figure's head attempting to follow Yumi's movement, Yumi placed both her hands against her helper's face and whispered lovingly "Now go, there will be more where that came from later. You should be dully rewarded after all." Yumi smiled beautifully, placing one last chaste kiss against the accomplice's lips which tasted oh so sweet and yet eager at the same time, so very eager.

Nodding frantically, the hooded figure stood up her head bowed down low and hidden away from Eriko's questioning gaze, which was fixed at her as if it could see through the cloth which covered her looks, before she sprinted down the stairs and out of Yumi's sight.

"Who was that?" Eriko demanded, her voice leaving no room for interpretation.

As Yumi's eyes followed the figure's retreating form from the upstairs window, she walked towards the crying baby and carefully held her lovingly within her arms, patting its back reassuringly as she hopped on the balls of her feet. It seemed the baby was growing restless…

'_Perhaps it knows what's about to happen…'_ Yumi thought pointedly searching the baby's features for any sign of discomfort.

"A friend of a friend, but no one you would know of, Eriko-sama." Yumi stated half-heartedly to busy, laughing at the child's playful and truly adorable manner.

'_Eriko should be proud of her daughter…'_

'_She really is adorable…'_

"Don't touch her! Get away from my daughter!"

Turning to face Eriko, Yumi carefully manoeuvred the baby within her arms as she walked closer to the struggling captive, crouching so that she could speak to Eriko personally, and so that Eriko could look upon her child one last time before the end.

"No. I will not get away from 'your' daughter, Eriko-sama, because she is no longer your daughter. Consider this repayment for all the things you did to me." Yumi stated darkly. The baby finally noticing her mother and reaching out with one hand out-stretched, the pain and horror on her mother's features making the baby unsettled as it began to whimper slightly.

"I-I did nothing to you; just give her back to me, please Yumi."

"You did nothing?" Yumi stated angrily, her eyes darkening to a terrifying extent "That's right, Eriko-sama, you did nothing. You never looked for me, did you? Too busy playing house to even notice my disappearance."

Horror turned to confusion as Eriko listened to Yumi's pained words. What had happened to Yumi to make her look so crestfallen?

"What are you talking about, Yumi-chan?"

Silence confined itself to this room as Yumi looked Eriko straight in the eye, occasional whimpers leaving the baby's mouth as she was hold closely in a way that only a mother should have been allowed. And the baby knew, this was not her mother. In fact, the baby could sense the fear radiating off the woman she had relied on for so much of her life.

"I know all about your pregnancy Eriko-sama. The proof of that is lying within my arms right now. But what I didn't know is that you were the first to stop searching for me. You gave me up… for this?" Yumi signalled towards the child holding her at eye level so that Eriko could comprehend the words she spoke. But as she let the baby down, she began to crawl along the floor and towards her mother.

A surprised and motherly cry left Eriko's lips leaving Yumi startled by the sudden and seemingly random occurrence. "What was that?" Yumi asked as Eriko began to silently cry not from grief but from… joy?

"She... she's crawling." Eriko stated smiling despite the very serious nature of this situation.

"So, what is so remarkable about her crawling?" Yumi asked as she also turned to watch the baby crawl along the floor.

A most perculiar scene, even amongst the destroyed house where a man lay dead several feet away from them, Yumi and Eriko effectively sat side by side, stopping to watch this young child clumsily crawl across the floor.

"S-she's never crawled before… this is her first time."

"Oh," Yumi stated watching the child attempting to stand but failing several times laughing alongside Eriko as the baby landed on its butt again and again.

The moment between the two didn't last long however, as Yumi suddenly remembered why she was here and without waiting for confirmation, Yumi picked the child up and returned it to its previous position. The baby was now being held against her will by the monster who had destroyed the only family she would ever know.

"Yumi, please understand… I would have never abandoned you…"

"But you did," Yumi shouted "You gave me up… for this child, so that you could play happy family and simply ignore the fact that I was gone and nowhere to be found. Do you see these scars?" Yumi replied pulling up her t-shirt to reveal jagged scars which criss-crossed along her body.

"These were carved into me by men who desired nothing more than to see me suffer. And when they weren't torturing me, they were threatening to take my virginity… four, sometimes even more, would force their way into my cell and strip me of my clothes… pose me in inappropriate positions and make me fear for my body's safety." Yumi remembered everything in clear and unaltered detail, sometimes she thought it had happened to someone else because she never felt anything when she was reminded of these traumatizing events. She was hollow all the way through, emotionless and spent.

"W-were you…?" Eriko couldn't say the word, it was a word that all people feared especially young woman who were taught to be wary of their surroundings and of all possible dangers. Eriko's voice began to tremble at the unpleasant implication but as she watched Yumi state horrifically, vile things with no hint of sadness, she became confused… it was as if the rape hadn't concerned her?

"They never raped me… or my mother. It was all for show, I found that out when I escaped. There was even a message from the Ogasawara family on one of the guards that said as much. You know what it said?" Yumi asked unconcernedly.

Eriko took little time in nodding her head, she needed to comfort Yumi. That might be the only way to settle this entire matter and get her daughter back. She loved Yumi desperately after all.

"It simply stated that the 'prisoners' were not to be sexually abused as they were an important bargaining chip." Yumi laughed coldly, pressing her chin against the baby's forehead as she rocked her gently, "We were nothing more than bargaining chips, for what I still don't know… but get this, we were considered the lucky ones. There were other people, women, who had not been promised such kindness." Yumi stated sounding forlorn for the first time since she entered Eriko's home.

"Y-Yumi I-I didn't know…"

"Enough of your fucking lies," Yumi shouted, marching over to Eriko and hoisting her into the air with one hand clenched around her entangled ones, the baby's crying amplifying as she watched her mother's face grimace in pain, "You cannot lie to me, I know Eriko-sama. I already know the truth. You may not have played a significant part but you played a part all the same. My family's deaths are on your hands, just like yours are on mine."

Turning, Eriko faced her deceased husband who Yumi had motioned to during her speech. Tears continuing to prickle as she viewed the abused figure who resembled nothing of the man she had fallen in love with… nothing at all.

"What did you do to him?" Eriko asked sadly viewing the man she had chosen, the man who she had fallen in love with and even borne a child with.

Unexpectedly, Yumi looked slightly apologetic as she turned to face the deceased corpse who she turned over with her foot inspecting the welts and blood which trickled through the carpet.

"He tried to stop me… My plan was to sneak in, get the baby and leave but…"

"You-You're not taking my baby!" Eriko screamed struggling furiously against the binds which constricted movement of any kind.

Yumi was going to take her baby…?

No, this couldn't be happening, it just couldn't…

However, despite Eriko's frenzied interruption, Yumi continued unabated "to get the baby and leave but… there was a complication."

Turning to face Eriko, Yumi's eyes had returned to their lively and unapologetic self, a seemingly instant transformation of personalities had occurred. What had become of the little adorable girl who blushed after each individual compliment?

"Your husband happened to come in at the same time I was holding the baby," Yumi stated waving her arms animatedly in a strange fashion, something was seriously off with Yumi and not just the obvious "We said some things, exchanged pleasantries, but in the end he forced my hand, through his head as you can see clearly…" Yumi motioned to the corpse whose eye balls were still missing.

"So I killed him," Yumi stopped, paced towards Eriko, and leaned closer so that she could look Eriko in the eye, as she finally whispered "and made him look his child in the eye as I ended his life."

…

"What?" Eriko shook visibly. Her eyes looking from the deceased corpses and back to Yumi while her mouth hung open due to the sudden revelation ringing within her mind.

"That's right. Your child saw it all happen in this room," Yumi replied trying to keep her laughter down as she watched Eriko pale "Oh; you must be confused by all the blood and destruction downstairs, right?" Yumi stated playfully attempting to look as innocent as possible, as if she hadn't done anything at all.

"That was just to create the mood, you understand, right?"

"T-the mood?" Eriko asked unsurely, still attempting to digest the news that her own daughter had witnessed her father's death.

"You should have probably noticed the gaping wide hole in his stomach," Eriko turned to look as Yumi pushed the body over once more, revealing the hideous hole which revealed itself. Stifling a sob as Eriko regarded it, Yumi continued "I had to bring out the decorations and what better decorations is there than blood, I destroyed the house simply because well… you were taking so long, I was bored and needed some entertainment."

"Y-You're insane…" Eriko mumbled finally coming to realise the very real possibility.

"No. Insanity is a concept brought about by humans… I am no longer human therefore the comparison is invalid. I simply…" Yumi pondered her next words, shushing the baby that had been crying quite persistently "am… is that not enough?"

Yumi had clearly lost it. Eriko watched Yumi's hopeful features as she waited for her own approval to the idea, what was Yumi talking about?

"What the hell are you talking about?" Eriko asked.

Laughter followed Eriko's confused words, a sinister and sickening laughter that would live long in the memory. "I do so enjoy our little talks, Eriko-sama. But you know what they say, people to see… babies to mother."

Realisation finally dawned as Eriko began to cry and fight against her binds valiantly, but they were expertly tightened, with almost zero give to be found. As Eriko realised this, she resorted to pleading, it was unseemly but this was her child she was talking about. She had to do something; she had to find a way to save the last remaining member of her family.

"No, Yumi. Please don't do this. Give me back my baby, please… no!"

Laughter proceeded these words once again as Yumi carefully picked up a nearby suitcase and piled the baby's clothes and other such items into it one by one. "Don't worry Eriko-sama, she will be cared for. I think I would make an excellent mother, don't you agree Eriko-sama? And unlike you… I can now protect my family, can you say the same?"

As Yumi finally packed the last few remaining items into the bag she purposely walked over Eriko, lifting the bag with one hand, and headed towards the door. But before Yumi could leave or wipe that pleased smile from her face, she was stopped by a desperate cry which held a strangely familiar name.

"Please don't take Yumi away from me!"

…

Silence engulfed the house for several prolonged moments as Yumi stood at the bedroom door, completely rooted to the spot. The only sounds that breached the silence were that of Eriko's continued sniffling as she shifted her body to face both Yumi and her child of the same name.

"W-what did you call her?" Yumi asked her eyes wide, stuttering as she spoke to Eriko in a soft and almost forlorn voice.

"Yumi, she's called… Yumi." Eriko replied an underlying tone of pleading in her voice, she wanted her daughter back she needed Yumi back by any means necessary "I named her after you."

"You…? After me…?" Yumi stated in bewilderment, looking between the baby and Eriko.

'_She's called Yumi…'_

'_She… She named her own child after me…'_

"Y-Yumi?" She said, confounded by the unexpected revelation, her confusion only growing as she looked into the baby's face. Yumi's tears had ceased now and her cries had begun to gradually subside as looked up into the face of her name sake, a small hand stretching out in an effort to reach the older Yumi's hair which was previously fanning her face.

"Yes," Eriko nodded in admission before continuing "we both agreed to it. There was no other name worth considering, other than yours."

"Y-you…" Yumi stuttered pacing around the cramped hallway as she tried to wrap her brain around this entire situation. "You both chose… Yumi?" Yumi looked up small droplets of tears slipping down the corner of her eyes as she realised what Eriko had done. Despite herself, Yumi felt incredibly proud, happy; all the things one would expect and so much more but she wasn't supposed to be that adorable and caring person anymore. So, why was this situation affecting her to such a surprising extent?

"Yumi." she said her own name once again, almost testing it as she spoke to the baby who cheerfully stretched, smiling and reaching out in excitement as Yumi referred to her by a name she had only ever been referred to. Noticing the baby's actions, Yumi flushed a slight crimson; quickly turning from Eriko who had also noticed her momentary slip up.

T-this was not right…?

She was supposed to hurt Eriko beyond repair, not sympathise with her and become flustered by a damn name.

"T-that doesn't matter… I" Yumi didn't know what to say, she was breaking, her face was flushed and tears were suddenly slipping down her face in quick succession, a small smile presenting itself as the baby laughed playfully.

'_She is so beautiful…'_

'_Yumi…'_

"**Do not stray from the path, Yumi. Take the child and go…"**

It was that voice again, the one who had saved her many years ago. The voice that had granted her redemption and ever lasting peace were none could be found.

But the words it spoke, the situation laid in front of her… Yumi didn't know what to do.

"_But this is a child… I… I can't just take Yumi away from her mother."_

"**I am warning you Yumi. You've been swayed by this vixen's words, I can see that but you must not let her win. This woman is the reason why your family lies in unmarked graves, do not let her win."**

"_But… I didn't know about this child. That she would name it after me… I…"_

"**Do not forget your promise to me Yumi. Do not forget those nights were you cried and pleaded for your family's return… They did this to you, Eriko did this to you. **

"**I never said it would be easy but you can avenge their memory… But you must stick to the plan. Don't let your family's death be in vain."**

"You're right." Yumi stopped mid step, facing Eriko as she kneeled before her…

"Yumi is mine now, you will never see her again. Goodbye Eriko-sama."

…

As Yumi walked she heard the united screams of loss coming from Eriko who screamed Yumi's name over and over again, although which one she meant the older Yumi was not quite sure. And her cries were accompanied by the baby who was wrapped within her captor's arms…

"Yumi… YUMI!"

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Author's Notes: I did warn you, I said it would get a lot darker and this is only the seventh chapter of a pretty dark story. I have a lot more ideas and surprises in mind so I hope you're ready for them. But don't worry I always try to make a satisfying ending, although whether it will be happy or sad I won't say.

I updated this story a little earlier than I intended but I felt the writing, content was strong enough to warrant early publication. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out; I still have to update Empty Places, A Serpent's Lament, A Moment for the Fallen and work on my own original story which is only now reaching the planning stage of development (It will take about a year or 2 hopefully, so don't worry I won't advertise it :P)

A lot to do in a very small space of time. In fact I have perhaps left myself to much to do which is why Endless Affection will not be updated any time soon or maybe even this year, might leave that story for after Forever Drifting which is personally my second favourite story that I have written, the first being Empty Places. But don't worry all will be finished to completion, especially since all my data is in cloud storage :D Endless protection.

Reviews etc would be greatly appreciated, especially your opinions on Yumi's personality and actions because I am slightly on the fence about what I will do with her. I have two ideas at the moment and depending on response, and my own personal impressions, your opinion could possibly swing the direction of this story, for Yumi alone however because I already have an end and situations planned but I'm not sure about Yumi's longevity so to speak.

Thanks for reading once again, and I hope you have enjoyed the 7th chapter of Forever Drifting.


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